Golf Course Maintenance and Stream Water Quality: Double Bogey or Eagle?

Transcription

1 CAPCA Seminar San Ramon March 12, 2015 Blankinship Associates Agricultural & Environmental Scientists & Engineers Golf Course Maintenance and Stream Water Quality: Double Bogey or Eagle? Today s Talk Why We Did It How We Did It What We Found What YOU Should Do The Risk Myth 2 Rationale Perception Is Reality The Sponsors City of Pittsburg Contra Costa Co Cleanwater Program NPDES Permit Water Quality Protection Address Golf Course Perceptions 3 4 Page 1

2 Perception Is Reality Perception Is Reality GOLF DIGEST May 2008 The most important article we ve ever published 5 6 Perception Is Reality Perception Is Reality 7 8 Page 2

3 Perception Is Reality Golf Digest: Would you say that golfcourse pesticide use in the United States today is not safe? Jay Feldman*: I would say that, yes. Objectives Organic v. traditional fertilizer: Which is better for protecting surface water quality adjacent to golf courses? Are pesticides leaving golf courses? * Co-founder: Beyond Pesticides 9 10 Overview Study Area Golf in Contra Costa Co. 30 Courses 31 Watersheds Wide Geographic, Weather and Area-Specific Variability 11 Page 3

4 Study Area Delta View GC Diablo Creek GC Buchanan GC Moraga GC Canyon Lakes GC 13 Overview (con t) Organic vs. Traditional Fertilizer Overview (con t) Organic Fertilizer Not synthesized Examples: Manure (steer, poultry, etc.) Meal (bone, feather, meat, blood, fish, etc.) Biosolids (i.e., wastewater treatment byproducts) Page 4

5 Overview (con t) Methods Traditional Fertilizer Synthetic or Man-made Mineral origin or product of a chemical manufacturing process Examples: Salts: Ammonium phosphate, potassium nitrate Derivatives of nitrogen: Sulfur or polymercoated, methylene urea Traditional Courses - Buchanan Fields - Canyon Lakes (2 sites) Organic Courses - Delta View - Diablo Creek -Moraga Methods (con t) Grab Samples Up and Down Stream of the Course Sampled Primarily During Wet Weather Flow Analysis Nutrients (NPK) & General Chemistry Aquatic Toxicity (Algae & Water Flea) DS Diablo Creek GC US Page 5

6 10 Rainfall & Sampling Events Nov 03 to Jan 06 9 Precipitation (inches) * Indicates a Sampling Event 1 0 Nov-03 Dec-03 Jan-04 Feb-04 Mar-04 Apr-04 May-04 Jun-04 Jul-04 Aug-04 Sep-04 Oct-04 Nov-04 Dec-04 Jan-05 Feb-05 Mar-05 Apr-05 May-05 Jun-05 Jul-05 Aug-05 Sep-05 Oct-05 Nov-05 Dec-05 Jan-06 Results 3 storm seasons 13 rain storms 46 sample events > 1,000 water quality measurements made Results: Water Flea Toxicity No Ceriodaphnia (Water Flea) toxicity Significance: No insecticides leaving courses studied Page 6

7 Results: Water Quality Little or No Change in Water Quality Upstream v. Downstream Organic v. Inorganic Significance: No obvious nutrient contributions Results: Water Quality Ammonia (mg/l) Figure C-2. Average Ammonia vs. Time Spring Summer Fall Winter Season TraditionalUS TraditionalDS OrganicUS OrganicDS Bottom-line #1: More NH 3 detected with traditional courses Bottom-line #2: NH 3 leaves organic courses in summer 25 Results: Agronomy Figure D-1: Comparison Of Nitrogen Use By Course Type and Season Nitrogen 40 (lbs/acre) 20 0 Spring Summer Fall Winter Organic Traditional Bottomline: Both techniques result in similar total N applied 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% -10% -20% Results: Algae Percent Change in Algae (Upstream v. Downstream) 32% Buchanan Fields Traditional Organic Overall -4% Canyon Lakes- North Growing 8% 4% Canyon Lakes- South Traditional Course Ave. 9% Dying -3% -14% Delta View Diablo Moraga Creek -2% Organic Course Ave 3% All Course Ave. Page 7

8 Results: Algae Trends Organic Courses: 2% downstream reduction Traditional Courses: 8% downstream enhancement Significance Algae-limiting agents leaving organic courses Nutrients leaving traditional courses Magnitude Small Variable Conclusions Does the choice of fertilizer (organic v. traditional) influence surface water quality adjacent to golf courses? Yes Are pesticides leaving golf courses? No (insecticides) Unknown (herbicides/fungicides) Conclusions (con t) Use of Buffers What does influence surface water quality adjacent to golf courses? Buffers Be Fertilizer Smart Turf BMPs Page 8

9 Be Fertilizer Smart Apply based on soil & plant tissue testing & according to label direction Make multiple applications in small amounts Select & use slow release fertilizer carefully Do not apply before rainfall Turf BMPs Irrigate based on ETo Establish and maintain healthy turf Maintain high heights of cut Recycle grass clippings Use IPM Periodically monitor surface and groundwater quality Understanding The Risk Myth Risk = Toxicity x Exposure The Risk Myth: Toxicity Terms LC 50 Lethal Concentration that kills 50% of a test population Typically expressed in mg/l LD 50 Lethal Dose that kills 50% of a test population Typically expressed in mg/kg of animal body weight Page 9

10 The Risk Myth: Toxicity Data Product Name Active Ingredient LC50 mg/l Species USEPA Classification Acute Aquatic LC 50 (mg/l) Various Glyphosate IPA Salt Fathead Minnow Practically Non-Toxic >100 Nautique Copper Carbonate 2 to 21 Fathead Minnow Slightly Toxic Sonar Fluridone 12 Reward Copper Sulfate Diquat Dibromide Copper Sulfate Pentahydrate 12 1 Rainbow Trout Rainbow Trout Fathead Minnow Moderately Toxic 1-10 Highly Toxic Very Highly Toxic < The Risk Myth: Exposure Dermal (Absorption) Oral (Ingestion) Inhalation (Inhalation) But, what happens to the chemical on the way to the receptor? 39 The Risk Myth: Environmental Fate of Pesticides Thatch Soil Water 40 Page 10

11 The Risk Myth: Environmental Fate of Pesticides The Risk Myth: Environmental Fate of Pesticides Evaporate Evaporate Eaten Stick Dissolve Thatch Soil Eaten Stick Dissolve Thatch Soil Water Water The Risk Myth: Managing Exposure BMPs: Use of Buffers You Can t Change Toxicity...So Manage Exposure Understand Environmental Fate Use BMPs Read the Label Make An Informed Pesticide Selection Page 11

12 BMPs: Integrated Pest Management Questions? Know Your Pest Establish Thresholds Scout Use Mechanical, Cultural and Chemical Tools Repeat 45 Mike Blankinship (530) Page 12