Belchertown School Committee members said the town's stadium field has improved enough to host fall sports as scheduled, despite lingering drought restrictions.

BELCHERTOWN -- Facilities staff have been hand-watering and reseeding the stadium field for weeks, and School Committee members said at their Aug. 5 meeting that the difference is dramatic.

HIGH SCHOOL -- Committee members said the field, which hosts soccer, lacrosse and other fall teams, looks far better than it did during a June 23 inspection. One member overseeing facilities said an employee identified as Eric has been moving a hose and sprinkler across the stadium field six to eight times a day, along with seeding, fertilizing and mowing. The committee said it is moving forward with playing sports, including any tournaments, on the field this fall, though the final call on safety rests with a staff member identified as Kevin. Officials cautioned that the center of the field still has heavy weed and crabgrass growth because they couldn't use enough water during the drought to kill it off before reseeding, and said bare spots could appear as cold weather sets in later in the fall season, which begins in early September.

A longer-term well storage tank project meant to irrigate the stadium field, and eventually other town fields, remains in the design phase and has not gone out to bid; officials said the scope has grown more complex. In the meantime, the district is talking with the town Water Department about possibly using municipal water once a week, given recent rain. The Department of Public Works is expected to help aerate and overseed the field next week. Committee members said funding for the current field work came through a Community Preservation Committee grant and that no additional funds are expected to be needed. Officials also said they discussed installing artificial turf but did not pursue it, citing costs in the range of $1 million to $1.5 million or more. Committee members acknowledged the field may eventually need an extended rest period but said that is not expected in the immediate future.

Compiled from team and league reports, reader submissions, and local coverage.