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Presented in partnership
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New tool for water management
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Golf courses could become a lot “greener” with a new Green Toolbox developed by the Pennsylvania Environmental Council and LandStudies Inc., based in Lititz, Pa.
PEC previously developed an interactive, online trading tool for Pennsylvania’s Nutrient Trading Program with funding from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection’s Growing Greener program. The golf course toolbox will add to that original project and will identify multiple environmental benefits connected with new and existing BMPs that help reduce nutrient and sediment pollution in streams and ground water.
Implementing the toolbox’s BMPs could reap multiple benefits for golf courses. Practices such as riparian buffer installation, floodplain wetland restoration and manure compost usage will be examined for their benefits beyond nutrient and sediment reduction — benefits such as improved stormwater management, improved aquifer recharge and filtration, improved water-usage management, reduced maintenance, expanded native plant communities and improved wildlife habitat. BMPs directly related to improved surface and groundwater management have the potential to generate marketplace credits that can be sold and can help golf courses and municipalities meet water-related regulatory
requirements.
As part of the process of developing the toolbox, PEC and LandStudies will meet with golf course industry representatives and local environmental action committee members to gather information and help coordinate local support and implementation among golf course superintendents and municipal planners. John Chassard, Class A director of grounds at Lehigh Country Club in Allentown, and Jeff Broadbelt, president of Agrostis Golf Management, are helping to organize and coordinate this phase of the project.
“Today’s golf course managers and superintendents are true stewards of the environment,” says Chassard, a 25-year member of GCSAA. “Once completed, the Green Toolbox will be a resource no manager or superintendent will want to be without.”
The toolbox will provide a range of information on specific BMPs and benefits, implementation guidelines and cost ranges. A framework to quantify environmental credits for the BMPs will be included. The end product will be published in a handbook, available in both hard copy and Web-based formats, that can be used as a component of workshops and conferences that promote golf course BMPs and environmental trading credits.
The final publication, “Integrated Water Resources Management for Golf Courses,” will include a synopsis of the developed BMPs and their associated benefits, regulatory requirements that can be addressed, how the BMPs are integrated into course management and the environmental stewardship principles they advance.
PEC and LandStudies expect that all tasks within the project will be completed by June.
“As someone who enjoys golfing and also cares deeply about conservation and good water quality, I believe this project provides an opportunity … that will help golf course managers and enhance environmental quality,” says Brian Hill, president of PEC. “It is the classic ‘win-win’ situation.”
For additional information, visit www.pecpa.org and www.landstudies.com.
Along with state and national partners, the EPA has released a comprehensive plan to reduce runoff and increase environmental and economic benefits for communities. The program is aimed at reducing stormwater runoff and sewer overflow by promoting “green infrastructure” approaches such as green roofs, trees and tree boxes, rain gardens and porous pavements. Other benefits of the techniques include cost savings, improved air quality, urban heat island reductions, energy savings, water conservation and urban habitat creation. A document titled, “Managing Wet Weather with Green Infrastructure Action Strategy 2008” explains how states, municipalities, permitting authorities and non-governmental organizations can apply these practices. Visit www.epa.gov/npdes/greeninfrastructure/general for more information. The Irrigation Association recently awarded Gershon Eckstein of Drip Irrigation Systems Ltd., San Diego, and Fred Hamisch with the California Agricultural Irrigation Association, its Achievement Awards. Eckstein is credited with many irrigation patents, including a method of manufacturing pipes with integrated dripper units, which eliminated the need to assemble units at the irrigation site. Hamisch drove the effort to expand the reach of the CAIA, investing time and resources in projects such as the Agricultural Technology Applications Center, and served on numerous IA committees. |
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