Best Management Practices for Maryland Golf Courses

wells should be located up-gradient as far as possible from potential pollutant sources, such as petroleum storage tanks, septic tanks, chemical mixing areas, or fertilizer storage facilities.

Best Management Practices

• Surround new wells with bollards or a physical barrier to prevent impacts to the wellhead. • Maintain records of new well construction and modifications to existing wells. • Obtain a copy of the well log for each well to determine the local geology and well depth. These factors will have a bearing on how vulnerable the well is to contamination. Sample wells for contaminants according to the schedule and protocol required by MDE. • Inspect wellheads and the well casing at least annually for leaks or cracks. Make repairs as needed. • Use backflow-prevention devices at the wellhead, on hoses, and at the pesticide mix/load station to prevent contamination of the water source. • Properly plug abandoned or flowing wells. • Never apply a fertilizer or pesticide next to a wellhead. • Never mix and load pesticide next to a wellhead if not on a pesticide mix/load pad.

Irrigation System Design

A well-designed irrigation system should operate at peak efficiency and be designed and installed to improve water use efficiency by focusing on water placement and distribution. The design should maximize water use, reduce operational cost, conserve supply, and protect water resources.

Best Management Practices

• New and upgraded irrigation system designs should deliver water with maximum efficiency, focusing on precision water placement and distribution. • Design and/or maintain a system to meet a site’s peak water requirements under normal conditions with the flexibility to adapt to various water demands and local restrictions. • Design should account for optimal distribution efficiency and effective root-zone moisture coverage. Target 80% or better Distribution Uniformity (DU). • Design should allow the putting surface, slopes, and surrounds to be watered independently. • The design package should include a general irrigation schedule with recommendations and instructions on modifying the schedule for local climatic, soil, and growing conditions. It should include the base evapotranspiration (ET) rate for the particular location. • The application rate must not exceed the infiltration rate, which is the ability of the soil to absorb and retain the water applied during any one application. Conduct saturated hydraulic conductivity tests periodically. • The design operating pressure must not be greater than the available source pressure.

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