Follow the Drop – Parks & Golf Course Irrigation
Parks & Golf Course Irrigation
You have travelled to one of the many parks and golf courses in the Bow River Watershed! Here you will be highly appreciated, especially during the dry summer months when evapotranspiration rates from grass is high and lawns require irrigation to remain green.
Most parks in the Watershed are irrigated with very clean, potable water, although some are irrigated directly from the river. River irrigation, which is much cheaper than using potable water, is especially helpful for golf courses because of their large water requirements.
Definition
Evapotranspiration: The process by which water is transferred from the land to the atmosphere by evaporation from the soil and other surfaces and by transpiration from plants. Transpiration is when water escapes through plant leaves as a gas.
Potable water: Safe to drink.
Fun Fact
Large water requirements: The City of Calgary’s park irrigation systems use daily weather data to calculate the volume of water needed for irrigation. The systems include sensors for stopping irrigation in wet or cold weather.
Where next?
After helping ensure the grass stays green at the park or golf course, you need to choose your next step: you can land on a plant or you can seep into the ground. Be careful though! As you move through either of these processes, you will notice changes in water quality as you collect pollutants and nutrients (e.g. fertilizers and pesticides) that were applied to the plants around you or added to the water prior to irrigation.
References and Further Reading
- Alliance for Water Efficiency. (n.d.). Golf Courses. Retrieved May 21, 2020, from https://www.allianceforwaterefficiency.org/resources/topic/golf-courses
- USGA. (2017, August 12). Nutrient And Pesticide Fate On The Golf Course. Retrieved May 21, 2020, from https://www.usga.org/content/usga/home-page/course-care/digitalcollections/nutrient-and-pesticide-fate.html