Ben Oswald Soccer Park Closed Indefinitely
Ben Oswald Soccer Park in Salida, Colorado, has been closed to all users indefinitely as officials grapple with severe drought conditions that have left the region’s water supplies critically low.
The closure, announced by the Salida School District on August 19, aims to protect the park’s natural turf field, which relies on limited irrigation that has become increasingly scarce.
Drought Grips Chaffee County
Chaffee County is now 100 percent engulfed in drought, with the first seven months of 2026 ranking as the fourth‑driest January‑through‑July stretch in 132 years, and Colorado as a whole recorded its fifth‑driest such period since 1895.
Record‑low snowpack, above‑average temperatures and a weak monsoon season have compounded the shortage, prompting the City of Salida to institute mandatory water restrictions that limit outdoor watering to three days per week and curb irrigation times.
The shutdown ripples through Salida Schools athletics, forcing coaches to shift practice schedules and relocate games to alternative fields, while families are directed to consult the district’s updated athletic schedule for new times and venues. Officials have expressed gratitude for community patience, emphasizing that preserving the park as a shared resource remains a top priority.