Braeburn Golf Course is improving water quality
By Amy Geiszler-Jones
Efforts
to improve the water quality and decrease the amount of contamination
flowing out of the ponds at WSU's public golf course are showing some
progress.
There's been about a 50 percent reduction in phosphorous and a 100 percent reduction in nitrates less than a year after implementing various measures known as best management practices, says Nate Davis, a graduate student in biological sciences who is studying the efforts.
"Our evaluation over the next few months (when fertilizer and pesticide applications peak) will be critical in showing that this continues to be effective in reducing the amount of contamination," says Davis.
The study is part of a grant awarded from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment to WSU's environmental toxicologist Mike Lydy. It involves investigating water quality in urban areas.
 Biological sciences graduate student Nate Davis is researching the water quality at WSU's Braeburn Golf Course. The golf course staff has been implementing measures to decrease the amount of contamination in the golf course's four ponds. |
Lydy and his student researchers took water quality readings at various sites, such as golf courses, parks, playfields and other urban areas, for two years. Now they're evaluating the effects of best management practices, known as BMPs, to lower those readings at Braeburn Golf Course.
"Braeburn was chosen because pond water samples showed contamination from chemicals being applied to maintain its turfgrass," Davis says. "The pond waters had excessive nutrients from runoff of fertilizers, as well as periods of elevated pesticide concentrations. Braeburn manager John Wright gave us permission to work on the golf course, and superintendent Kent Trexler was willing to alter his management practices to minimize contamination."
While the contamination levels "were acceptable," Trexler says, "if we can lessen that we're happy to do so. We're satisfied that we can do our part and even do better."
Controlling the contamination at Braeburn has implications beyond the 18-hole course.
The ponds either directly or indirectly flow into Crestview Estates across 21st Street, into the Chisholm Creek and eventually the Arkansas River.
Also, with the explosion of golf courses in the United States - nearly 4,000 18-hole equivalent courses have been developed since 1990, according to the National Golf Foundation - understanding how to limit contaminants from courses will be important to water quality throughout the country.
"Anybody who uses lots of chemicals has kind of got a bullseye on them from the public, even though we're all contaminators to some extent," says Davis.
Some of the measures being implemented at Braeburn by Trexler and his staff are:
- Creating a buffer zone around the ponds.
No chemicals are applied within 25-30 feet of the ponds. Grass in the
buffer is left to grow higher and thicker to slow down runoff and increase
absorption in the soil where bacteria and other organisms can break
it down.
- Establishing a wetlands between two
of the ponds. Again, runoff will be slowed down, plus, the wetlands
provide a habitat for wildlife seeking refuge from urban life.
- Altering the applications of fertilizers
and insecticides. While the applications are more frequent, less fertilizer
is being applied each time. "This allows the grass to take advantage
of the application, absorb what's been applied and not lose a
lot of the excess," says Davis.
- Dredging an algae-filled pond. By increasing
the depth, it prevents vegetation from becoming rooted. Too much vegetation
chokes a pond's oxygen supply, which affects aquatic life.
- Moving a drain pipe that was dumping directly into one of the ponds. Pipes to catch runoff in the sand profile under the turf flow directly into this pipe. The main pipe now drains into a marsh area.
