Frontier Family Park Project named 2026 IA Vanguard Award, Landscape recipient

The Irrigation Association is excited to announce that the Frontier Family Park Project has been named the recipient of the 2026 Vanguard Award, Landscape.

The IA’s Vanguard Award honors innovative projects in the irrigation industry executed by a team of individuals, companies organizations or other group entities. Projects chosen for this award exemplify the IA’s mission of promoting innovation in efficient irrigation and supporting industry growth and sustainability.

Frontier Family Park in Queen Creek, Arizona, represents a large-scale, collaborative approach to modern irrigation design and implementation. Led by J2 Design in partnership with the Town of Queen Creek and supported by a team of design sub-consultants, contractors and product manufacturers, the 85-acre park required an innovative solution to balance performance, efficiency and long-term sustainability within a complex desert environment. The project integrated advanced irrigation technologies, including smart control systems, multi-point flow monitoring and a high-capacity pump station, while maintaining the reliability of a conventional wired network. Designed and constructed on an accelerated timeline, the system addressed challenges related to scale, water management and operational efficiency, delivering a coordinated solution that supports both the park’s extensive amenities and the Town’s long-term maintenance goals.

“Frontier Family Park is a strong example of what thoughtful planning and collaboration can deliver for a community,” said IA CEO Natasha Rankin. “J2 Design, the Town of Queen Creek and their project partners developed an irrigation system that supports a complex, large-scale public park while balancing efficiency, reliability and long-term maintenance needs. Their work shows how modern irrigation design, supported by strong partnerships, can help communities create public spaces that are both functional and responsible with water.”

Since its completion in 2024, Frontier Family Park has demonstrated strong performance across key operational metrics, including the ability to deliver efficient irrigation within a limited nighttime watering window while maintaining full public access during the day. The system’s flexible design supported phased construction and enabled early establishment of turf areas, ensuring project timelines were met despite the site’s complexity. Widely embraced by the Town of Queen Creek and the surrounding community, the project stands as a model for large municipal landscapes, showcasing how innovative irrigation design and collaborative execution can create resilient, efficient and high-impact public spaces.

“We are incredibly proud to see Frontier Family Park receive the Vanguard Award from the Irrigation Association,” said Kevin Wallin, CID, irrigation manager at J2 Design. “This project is a testament to what can be accomplished through strong collaboration and a shared commitment to innovation, resiliency, resource management and community placemaking. Working alongside the Town of Queen Creek, our project partners and the contractors, we were able to deliver an irrigation system that supports the park’s long-term performance while creating a destination the community can enjoy for generations to come. Receiving this recognition is especially rewarding because it reflects the dedication of everyone involved in bringing this vision to life.”

In addition to J2 Design and the Town of Queen Creek, this project included the following partners: Munro Companies, Hunter Industries, HydroPoint Data Systems (Baseline), Leemco Piping Solutions, Hunter Contracting and SiteWorks.

The 2026 IA Award recipients will be honored at the 2026 Irrigation Show and Education Week in Las Vegas, December 7-10. More information about this and other IA awards and past recipients can be found at irrigation.org/awards.

About the Irrigation Association

The Irrigation Association is the leading organization of irrigation professionals, serving as the recognized authority in efficient irrigation: promoting innovation, supporting industry growth and sustainability, engaging decision-makers and serving as the leading, credible and unifying voice and advocate for the industry. We seek to transform humanity’s stewardship and use of water, enabling the long-term sustainability of the planet’s water and natural resources and improving the quality of life through a reliable global food supply and vital green spaces. For more information, visit irrigation.org.