Yuma’s Bark Park closes April 20 for wall repairs, monthlong work planned

Dog owners who rely on Bark Park for off-leash exercise will need another place to go starting April 20, when the 3.35-acre park at 1705 E. Palo Verde Street closes for about four weeks. One city-listed option is Smucker Memorial Park at Avenue A and 28th Street, which also includes a dog park, while residents can call Parks and Recreation at 928-373-5200 for current park options and updates during the closure. Bark Park normally operates Wednesday through Monday from sunrise to 11 p.m. and Tuesdays from 3 p.m. to 11 p.m.; when it is open, the city says dogs must be healthy, sociable, current on vaccinations, licensed, under their owner’s control and cleaned up after. ([yumaaz.gov](yumaaz.gov/Home/Components/FacilityDirectory/FacilityDirectory/39/238))

The shutdown is tied to a wall that runs parallel to the residential property bordering the park. City officials said the wall has begun to tilt and show signs of deterioration, and Parks and Recreation crews will also use the closure to complete irrigation-system repairs and ground-condition improvements. Parks and Recreation Director Eric Urfer said the work is needed to protect the park’s long-term viability. ([yumaaz.gov](yumaaz.gov/Home/Components/FacilityDirectory/FacilityDirectory/39/238))

Bark Park is one piece of a much larger city system. The Parks and Recreation Department says it maintains more than 600 acres of parks and facilities, including 32 parks, but Bark Park is a specialized space with a double-gated entry, benches, shaded areas, a water fountain and waste-disposal stations that regular users depend on. That makes the monthlong closure more than a routine inconvenience for people who count on a fenced, off-leash space in central Yuma. ([yumaaz.gov](yumaaz.gov/government/parks-recreation/park-recreation-locations))

The city expects work to last approximately four weeks, which would put the reopening in mid-May if the schedule holds. Until then, the park will stay closed while crews repair the wall, improve the grounds and finish the irrigation work that the city says is necessary to keep the park usable for the long term. ([yumaaz.gov](yumaaz.gov/Home/Components/FacilityDirectory/FacilityDirectory/39/238))