ARS | Publication request: Hydrologic and Water Quality Assessment from an Intensively Managed Watershed Scale Turfgrass System

Submitted to: Scientific and Technical Review
Publication Type: Research Notes
Publication Acceptance Date: October 9, 2007
Publication Date: March 1, 2008
Citation: King, K.W. 2008. Hydrologic and Water Quality Assessment from an Intensively Managed Watershed Scale Turfgrass System. Turfgrass and Environmental Research Summary. p. 51.

Technical Abstract: Managed turf accounts for approximately 17 million hectares of land in the U.S. and is the most intensively managed system in the urban landscape. The primary objective of this research effort was to assess the watershed scale hydrologic and surface water quality impact from a well managed golf course. Nutrient load attributed to the course was 0.02 kg ha-1 yr-1 NH4-N, 0.62 kg ha-1 yr-1 NO3-N, 0.14 kg ha-1 yr-1 DRP, 3.15 kg ha-1 yr-1 TN, and 0.22 kg ha-1 yr-1 TP (Figure 1). Measured pesticide load was 5.0 g ha-1 yr-1 2,4-D and 10.9 g ha-1 yr-1 chlorothalonil. Nitrogen loss was approximately 7.3% of applied N while phosphorus loss was approximately 1.1% of applied P during the same period. Less than 1.0 % of the applied chlorothalonil and 2,4-D were lost in surface flow. Roughly 30 to 50% of the nutrient and pesticide loads were cycled through the subsurface drain lines prior to entering the surface flow.