Project Status: Park maintenance, restoration and rehabilitation work is currently ongoing.
The 139-acre site occupies the former Canoa Hills Golf Course (1461 W. Camino Urbano, Parcel #304-189-19H) in Green Valley, Arizona. It consists of 7
parcels that sit in natural drainage areas between existing elevated suburban developments, and it straddles a
major north-south vehicular route, Camino del Sol. Parcels are connected by residential streets with culverts large enough to accommodate golf cart passage beneath Camino del Sol.
The Canoa Hills Golf Course was in operation from 1984 to July 2013. In 2014 Borderland Construction and the San Ignacio Golf Club bought the property, but never reopened due to prohibitive costs and a lack of need in an area with several other prominent and functioning golf courses. This led to the donation of the property to the Pima County Regional Flood Control District in December 2018 to rehabilitate the course into a public nature park. The entirety of the former Canoa Hills Golf Course makes up the site for the Canoa Hills Trails Park, except for the clubhouse and parking lot associated with the golf course.
The District's primary goals include enhancing passive recreation and wildlife
habitat by creating native plant communities, mitigating erosion issues, and enhancing
floodplain function. The design is economical, functional, and efficient due to budget maintenance constraints. Initially the park will use water from Canoa Ranch to irrigate
restored areas, but once native plant communities are well-established, potable water use will cease. A goal of an eventual master
plan will be to minimize the need for maintenance and actively promote resilient native plant communities.
Exceptions may be made for strategically located pollinator gardens that are cared for by project partners.
Master Plan
A Master Plan has been developed and is effective as of March 3, 2022.
Survey
The District gathered information on the development of a Master Plan for the park. Responses helped make the park more successful by helping the District understand the interest of the park users. Survey results were compiled March 19, 2021.
February 25, 2021 Public Meeting
Preliminary results from that survey were shared at a public meeting held on February 25, 2021 from 10 a.m. to noon in the Board of Supervisors Hearing Room, located at 130 W. Congress, first floor.
At that meeting, District staff presented an overview of the master plan’s design concepts and asked for additional feedback from members of the public. A second questionnaire related to the park’s design concepts was introduced.
The full meeting can be viewed on the Pima County YouTube Page - Canoa Hills Trails Open Space Park.
Questionnaire
The February 25 meeting and follow-up questionnaire provided an opportunity for the public and other interested parties to address concerns and help the County better form an adaptive re-use plan that will serve the needs of the park for area residents and visitors, which will then serve as the park’s master plan. Due date for completing the questionnaire was March 19, 2021