Working with Watersheds
Natural watershed processes are critical in protecting and enhancing water quality. That is why the catchment management approach is permeating regulations for land use planning, development control, chemical use and water related engineering.
By overlaying the protection and enhancement of aquatic ecosystems with sustainable drainage techniques, golf courses can play an extremely valuable role in watershed function.
Golf must combine natural solutions with water engineering technologies to achieve sustainable water resource management. On their own, endless trails of water engineering are not a solution for sustainable water resource management.
The strategy of harmony
Technology and engineering has an important role to play in treating and providing water to consumers. This needs to be connected to as many natural and semi-natural hydrological systems as possible. Drainage is a perfect illustration of this process. It’s a critical issue for many golf courses, depending on their local climate, soils, geomorphology and geology, and presents an opportunity to blend urban engineered solutions and natural processes for the best possible outcome. When it comes to water, natural processes provide the bedrock, supported by carefully targeted use of engineering. Nature and technology in harmony.
Harmony in action
By focussing drainage on playing surfaces only, greenkeepers and course designers can utilise the rest of the site as a form of natural catchment.
Imagine a system where tee, green and fairway pipework soaks away across damp grasslands and into swales and vegetated ditches. These gradually feed water down into seasonal and permanent wetlands, ultimately ending up in open water bodies and potentially irrigation reservoirs.
The principle of sustainable drainage is critical to whether a golf course contributes to working watersheds, or whether it is just another unnatural, heavily engineered drainage system.
Learn how GEO Certified™ golf clubs are taking action to protect water quality:
Belas Clube de Campo
The design of Belas Clube de Campo ensures that all course runoff is collected into lakes before being re-used for irrigation, rendering any negative impacts on water quality virtually impossible. Further actions such as collecting roof runoff for use in the wash pad system safeguards environmental quality while minimizing consumption.
Read the GEO Certified™ Report for Belas
Golfpark Nuolen
All irrigation water comes from the 6 lakes at the Golfpark, which collect natural run-off from the golf course. Water quality on site has improved by more than 30% during the last 10 years and the little water leaving the site runs into a large retention area and overflow, allowing the water to be slowly filtered through reed beds.
Read the GEO Certified™ Report for Nuolen
