Is sports turf irrigation necessary?
sports facilities dependant on direct abstraction for irrigation. It seems inevitable that golf
licenses will impact on all
courses, race courses and stadia will be required to collect additional data to justify their levels of abstraction.
describes the importance of irrigation for sports-t
DR. JERRY KNOX from Cranfield University
licence renewal and how one might prepare for an ‘Environmental MOT’
the proposed tests for turf,
Changes in the way the Environment Agency assess time-llimited
The public have often questioned whether sports- turf irrigation can be justified given the increasing pressure on water resources, rising demands and longer-term threat of climate change. The current drought in the south east has highlighted the limitations (and risks) associated with relying on mains water for sports turf irrigation, but it represents only the tip of a growing conflict between so-called 'essential' (i.e. domestic) and non-essential (i.e. sports-turf) use. So is irrigation really necessary, particularly under conditions of increasing water scarcity, or is it just a luxury use by turf managers to improve aesthetics. The answer of course, is that irrigation is an essential tool in the maintenance and
management of all modern sports-turf surfaces. It serves to control growth and quality, to maximise playability and deal with the vagaries of UK weather. For golf, irrigation also helps alleviate compaction, maximise aeration and control drainage. In other sports, such as horse racing, whilst the objectives are different, the purpose is equally important, serving to promote sward growth and helping to soften
compacted racing surfaces, a common cause of track related injury. It is apparent that much PR is still required to reinforce the importance and value of water for sports-turf. How much water does sports-turf use? Golf course irrigation is a very visible activity and one that can be difficult to
justify when hose-pipe bans and restrictions are in force. However, the total volumes of water used in golf and sports-turf in general are very small. A sense of perspective is required (see Table 1). The data illustrates that compared to agriculture, which itself accounts for only 1% of total water use, sports turf irrigation constitutes a very minor abstraction. It is, however, a predominantly consumptive use (turf transpiration is a net loss to the environment), peaking in the driest years and in the driest months, when water resources are scarcest. As with agriculture, it is the consumptive nature of use and timing of demand that accentuates the water supply-demand imbalance. In England and Wales,
Water resources for sports turf: Environmental Passing an MOT
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