New Waterlands soccer fields are closed this fall and will not be used for organized sports until spring. Kate Schmidt,  Director, South Orange Department of Recreation & Cultural Affairs, Thursday said, "All fields will be closed until the spring in an effort to rehabilitate the turf area."

The New Waterlands fields are heavily used, especially during fall and spring soccer seasons. A number of community teams play there; there is no word yet on what impact the closed fields will have on their schedules. 

The work to be done, says Schmidt, is "not a major project." It includes re-grading of some areas, core aeration, slit seeding and fertilization. "However," she said, "it is necessary to take the area out-of-play for the season."