Environment

2006 Wildland Fire Season - Recommendations for Golf Courses:

Due to the winter rains experienced here in the State last year and the associated rapid growth of flash fuels, this year has the real potential to be a very active and dangerous wildfire season.  The City of Scottsdale has already experienced several small wildland fires with a wide range of ignition causes.

Over the years we have found that many of our local golf courses have a unique opportunity to provide the fire department with assistance and additional resources to address wildfire control issues.  We would like to put into place a series of recommendations and guidelines that will serve to assist the fire department in preventing and controlling any wildfire incidents close to a golf course.  Contact your local fire department to determine risk and get assistance with the development of an effective plan.

• Recommend that all golfers be advised of the situation and to notify the golf course staff or initiate a 911 call if they discover or suspect a wildfire incident has occurred.

• Restrict smoking while on the course, especially in the wildland interface areas.

• On courses that have interface areas with the Sonoran desert, develop a recognized "buffer zone" adjacent to tee boxes, fairways, and greens.  Thin vegetation and clear flammable flash fuels (dried grasses and weeds) for an area of 20 ft. to 30 ft. from the playing surfaces.  There is no need to clear natural live desert plants, just maintain these areas and clear the annual flash fuels.

• For an area of 10 ft to 15 ft in width, thin and clean flash fuels from the edge of the golf cart paths.

• In the "buffer" zones, trim overgrown tree limbs so they do not touch the flash fuels or serve as a possible fuel ladder from the desert floor.

• Pick up all dead and down cacti and tree limbs in these identified "buffer" zones.

• Remove all light (flash) fuels around the perimeter of the course, an area of at least 10 ft to 20 ft from the edge of all roadways.

• Maintenance personnel should have access to quick connect sprinklers in order to provide an additional water source for the golf course and the adjacent desert in the event of a local wildfire event.

• Recommend that all maintenance carts be equipped with small hoses that can be connected and used throughout the course.

• All maintenance personnel should carry pressurized water fire extinguishers.

• Rangers need to be aware of the increased wildfire risk and can serve to provide additional eyes for the quick identification of an incident and early notice for response by the fire department.

• All Ranger and beverage carts should carry an approved fire extinguisher and a means to quickly communicate with the clubhouse.

• To raise the awareness and effectiveness of facility employees and maintenance personnel, members of the local fire department can conduct initial wildfire awareness classes.

• Based on the capabilities and resources of an individual facility, local strike teams could be established for quick response and possible early intervention of a small incident prior to the arrival of the fire department.  In the event of a major wildfire incident in the local area, these resources (team leaders) can assist the fire department incident commander with ground sprinkler coverage along with possible course evacuation, fire department access and water supply questions.

Wildland fires are a naturally occurring event here in the Southwest.  Unfortunately as the Sonoran Desert gets further developed, the risk to facilities and people continue to increase.  Most of the local fire incidents we experience are man caused and not a natural event.

Thank you for your consideration and assistance.

State Water Facts (Source: ADWR):

• There are four categories of water supplies in Arizona: Colorado River water, surface water other than Colorado River water, groundwater and effluent.
   

• Arizona uses approximately 7.24 million acre-feet of water, under normal conditions.
   

  • Colorado River      1.3 Million Acre-Feet   18%

  • CAP                    1.5 Million Acre-Feet   21%

  • In-State Rivers      1.4 Million Acre-Feet   19%

  • Ground Water       2.9 Million Acre-Feet   40%

  • Effluent Water       .14 Milion Acre-Feet     2%
     

   

• Consumption
   

  • Agriculture      68%

  • Municipal        25%

  • Industrial          7%
     

   

• The Municipal Sector includes: Cities, Towns, Private Water Companies; Irrigation Districts.
   

• The Industrial Secto includes: Turf Facilities (golf), Power Generation, Large Landscape areas, Mining, Dairies and Feedlots, Large Cooling, Sand & Gravel.
   

  • Golf Courses currently use 4.2% of Arizona's water. This is a combination of Surface, groundwater and Effluent.
     

   

• Groundwater Management Act
   

  • Adopted in 1980
     

   

• Groundwater Management Goals
   

  • Control severe overdraft occurring in certain parts of Arizona.

  • Provide a means to allocate the "limited" groundwater resources.

  • Augment Arizona's groundwater supplies through development of additional water supplies.
     

   

• Management Structure
   

  • State-Wide Provisions

  • Irrigation Non-Expansion Areas - INA's

  • Active Management Areas - AMA's
     

   

• Active Management Areas - AMA's and year established
   

  • Phoenix                                          1980

  • Pinal                                               1980

  • Prescott                                          1980

  • Tucson                                            1980

  • Santa Cruz (formerly part of Tucson)  1994
     

   

• Conservation Requirements - Industrial users - Turf (Golf)
   

  • for acreage > 10 Acres

  • Allocation based upon 75% irrigation efficiency

  • New Golf Courses

    • Assume 5 acres of turf / hole

    • .4 acres of lake / hole

    • Additional low water use landscaping

     

  • Each AMA may have different allocations based upon average Evapotranspiration.
     

   

Colorado River Compact (U.L.I Conference):

• Divided watershed into Upper and Lower basins at Lee Ferry

• Provided 7.5 maf to each basin

• Allowed Lower basin to increase use by additional 1.0 Million Acre-Feet

• Shared future Mexico obligation

• Boulder Canyon Project Act allocated 2.8 Million Acre-Feet to Arizona for Lower basin use.

  Central Arizona Project - CAP facts (Source: www.Cap-AZ.com):

• The canal cost 3.6 billion to construct

• The canal was built to reduce groundwater overdraft

• The canal will deliver an average of 1.5 Million Acre-Feet to Colorado River water annually.

• If the canal were "full bore" year-round capacity would be 2.2 Million Acre-Feet

Turfgrass Facts (Source Pennsylvania State University):                         

• A turf area of 50x50 square feet produces enough oxygen to meet the needs of a family of four.

• Allergy control - Turfgrass helps control not only dust but also pollen.

• Noise Abatement - turf reduces noise by absorbing, deflecting, reflecting and refracting sounds.

• Fire Retardation - a buffer zone around buildings help retard the spread of fires.

• An acre of flourishing turfgrass can absorb hundreds of pounds of sulfur dioxide during a year.
  
   

Water Figures:

• One Acre-Foot equals 325,851 gallons. An Acre-Foot is enough to serve the needs of a family of five for one year. An Acre-Inch equals 27,154 gallons.

Environmental Articles

• Golf and the Environment -  An article provided by Dr. Kimberly Erusha, 
                                                  Director of Education for the USGA.
  
   

• Pesticides and golf courses - The Truth about Pesticides
   

• Environmental Impact of Golf - An article from "Golf Courses benefit people
                                                       and wildlife", USGA, 1994

 

Note: If you have any articles that you would like to see on this page please email them to carmella@cactusandpine.org

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