Celina's Brown Lawns and Its New Turf Fields Share One Problem

On a rainy week this fall, Celina's water use fell below 6 million gallons a day. That's roughly half of what the city hit on its peak day this year. If restrictions only tracked local demand, sprinklers across town would be back on two days a week by now.

They aren't. At the October 13 City Council meeting, staff confirmed Celina was still in Stage 2. They also explained why: the city is currently below its own thresholds, but its wholesale supplier, Upper Trinity Regional Water District, is still in Stage 2. Celina has to follow its supplier's rules, and Upper Trinity has no exit date.

That one fact explains a lot of what's happening around town. The tired lawns, the citation letters, the turf going onto Celina's biggest new park and the splash pad debate at Ousley Park all come down to a town growing faster than the water it can get, whether that water comes from a reservoir or a well. For the lawns, since October 13, the deciding number hasn't been anything Celina does. It's how much water sits in a lake east of here.

The lake that sets the rules

City staff told council that Celina's water comes from Lake Chapman, which was sitting at about 60% of its conservation pool. Several water providers draw from that reservoir, and each has its own share. Upper Trinity's available share was closer to 42%. In plain English, staff were hoping for a lot of rain out east to refill Lake Chapman before the restrictions could ease.

Set that beside Celina's own numbers from the same meeting:

The summer was a genuine squeeze. The peak day ran well over the subscription, and that was after the city had raised it from 10.5 to 11 million gallons a day in August, according to Community Impact. The same outlet reported that Dallas-Fort Worth had gone 62 days without measurable rain as of September 15. By October, staff said usage had tapered off and they didn't expect it to climb higher for the rest of the year. So Celina's own pressure has eased, while the regional supply problem hasn't.

What Stage 2 still asks of your yard

Stage 2 started on July 2, 2026, per the City of Celina's notice, and it was still in place as of the October 13 council meeting. Automatic irrigation systems and hose-end sprinklers get one watering day a week, based on the last digit of your address. Under the city's drought contingency plan, the days break down like this:

The rest of the Stage 2 rules, per the city notice and Community Impact's summary:

• No irrigation between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. on any day.
• Hand-held hoses, drip irrigation and soaker hoses can be used on landscaping or building foundations for up to two hours a day.
• Car washing and lawn fountains are prohibited.
• Filling a pool needs prior approval from Public Works, and new residential sod is restricted.

The city takes enforcement seriously. As of September 8, staff had issued more than 5,000 warnings and logged 998 repeat violators, according to Community Impact. Residents get three warnings from Public Works before the Celina Police Department issues a citation. A citation means the irrigation meter is shut off, a fee to reconnect it, and a possible fine of $500 to $2,000. Assistant City Manager Kimberly Brawner put the city's intent this way to the same outlet: "Our goal with conservation is to conserve, not restrict."

When Stage 2 does lift, the city drops back to Stage 1, which asks residents to limit lawn watering to twice a week on a voluntary basis.

Wilson Creek Park ran into a different limit

The city's own park plans hit a separate ceiling, and it came in writing. Rather than drawing on Lake Chapman, the fields were going to run on well water. Wilson Creek Park is a roughly 100-acre park at the corner of future Sunset Boulevard and Roseland Parkway, and ground was broken in September 2025. The original plan called for two natural-grass multi-use fields and four synthetic diamond fields.

To water that grass, city staff asked the North Texas Groundwater Conservation District for a permit to pump 48 million gallons of well water a year. The district approved 9.1 million. Parks Director Steve Walsh said that's enough to keep a single grass field going for 35 weeks a year, and it would be hard to maintain even that in a dry year like 2026, as Community Impact reported.

The fields were designed for about five times the water the permit allows, so council chose synthetic turf for both multi-use fields at its September 8 meeting. "It's Texas," Mayor Pro Tem Brandon Grumbles said in the same Community Impact story. "I really feel like all fields should be turf fields just because of the drought aspect."

Here's what the switch involves, per Walsh's presentation:

1. Cost: roughly $8 million to turf both multi-use fields.
2. Time: five to six months to install.
3. Upkeep: the turf will need replacing in 10 to 12 years, at around $4 million to $5 million.
4. Upside: less maintenance, and players can get back on the field sooner after rain.

The catch for anyone counting down to opening day is that Phase 1 was originally due to wrap up in fall 2026. The extra turf work means it will likely finish in 2027. The Prosper-Celina Journal noted that council supported turf on September 8 but didn't formally authorize the spending at that meeting.

Ousley Park's splash pad is the next test

At Wilson Creek, the water decision was settled by a permit. At Ousley Park it's still open. Ousley is a 9-acre park that follows Doe Branch Creek near downtown Celina, and its splash pad has been cut and restored before. During master planning in 2023, the design team removed it to save money. It went back in after a community survey in which 32% of residents asked for a splash pad, nearly ten times the response for any other amenity, as Community Impact reported.

This fall it was dropped from the conceptual designs again because of the conservation push. Council asked for it back under consideration. "I know we have a lot of young families that would use it once we're not under the water constraints that we are today," Mayor Ryan Tubbs said, according to the same report. City Manager Robert Ranc said future designs would include splash pad options so council can weigh the amenity against the water it would use.

The next phase of Ousley's design starts in November, and council expects to review the plans in early 2027.

What could change the picture

Upper Trinity has a new supply on the way. Lake Ralph Hall, the district's reservoir project in Fannin County, began filling in July, and limited water deliveries are still expected by late 2026, according to an Upper Trinity release published October 17. The release didn't report a fill level or a date for the first deliveries.

City leaders don't see the new lake as the whole answer. "Finding additional water sources outside of Lake Ralph Hall is City Council's #1 priority objective in our strategic plan," Tubbs wrote on social media, as quoted by Community Impact. Until extra supply arrives, Stage 2 lifts when Upper Trinity lifts it, and that depends on rain over Lake Chapman. The city's water conservation page is the place to check for the announcement.

Making the most of the parks Celina already has

Old Celina Park, at 12670 FM 428, is the one big park residents can use right now. Its farm-themed playground, with slides, swings, climbing structures and interactive equipment, has been open since October 2025. It's also where the Veterans Day Ruck March, hosted with the Celina Police Department, takes place on Saturday, November 7. The registration page lists 8:30 to 10 a.m., while the city calendar lists an earlier start, so check before you set an alarm.

Downtown, the Friday Night Market fills the Square from 6 to 9 p.m. on Friday, November 6. On Thanksgiving morning, November 26, the Celina Turkey Trot starts at the Downtown Square and runs from 7:45 to 10 a.m.

This post is general information, not legal advice. For the watering rules that apply to your address, and any citation you receive, go to the City of Celina and its official notices.

Meanwhile, if a dry summer has you wondering how your lawn and landscaping affect your home's value, I'm happy to give you an honest read. At Mike Farish, we'll look at your home the way a buyer would this fall, brown patches and all. Get your free home valuation.