City of Ottawa catching up on maintenance after wet weather causes grass to grow

A stretch of wet weather is being blamed for the long grass on City of Ottawa properties.

Several people have complained on social media about the length of the grass on city right-of-ways and on fields across Ottawa this week.

Officials with the City of Ottawa say the weather has been ideal for grass growing, and the length of the grass is slowing down operations.

"The weather this spring has been optimal for grass growing this season with stretches of rainy days each week followed by occasional sunny breaks," Allyson Downs, director of Parks Maintenance and Forestry Services, told CTV News Ottawa in a statement.

"Not only do the wet conditions lead to increased growth of grass and weeds, it also increases the number of days staff can’t get out to mow, as mowing takes longer with wet conditions."

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Ottawa received 57.8 mm of rain between May 21 and May 30, including a record 39.3 mm of rain on May 27.

The longer spring grass conditions slow down lawn mowing operations, according to the city. Downs says Parks Maintenance staff have been out cutting grass since early May, focusing on sports fields, baseball diamonds and other amenities for the seasonal opening.

"With the surge in growth and longer spring grass conditions, equipment is forced to slow down to avoid stalling out and possibly being damaged by hidden obstacles within the longer grass," Downs said.

"All our available resources are deployed to cut roadsides and parks. We have completed our first pass in most areas and are on our second pass. We are working to get caught up in the next couple weeks when growth starts to slow as we near summer conditions.”