Best Management Practices for Maryland Golf Courses

Figure 14. Irrigation system monitoring. Photo credit: Mark Jones.

Metering

Rainfall may vary from location to location on a course; the proper use of rain gauges, rain shut- off devices, flow meters, soil moisture sensors, and/or other irrigation management devices should be incorporated into the site’s irrigation schedule. It is also important to measure the amount of water that is actually delivered through the irrigation system, via a water meter or a calibrated flow-measurement device. Knowing the flow or volume will help determine how well the irrigation system and irrigation schedule are working.

Best Management Practices

• Calibrate equipment periodically to compensate for wear in pumps, nozzles, and metering systems. • Properly calibrated flow meters, soil moisture sensors, rain shut-off devices, and/or other automated methods should be used to manage irrigation. • Flow meters should have a run of pipe that is straight enough — both downstream and upstream — to prevent turbulence and bad readings. • Flow meters can be used to determine how much water is applied.

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