Lake Management Aerators Advanced technology to enhance golf course irrigation efficiency
A growing global trend is to install surface spray aerators in golf course ponds or lakes that are less than 15 feet (5 m) deep. The primary reason is that these aerators provide the best vertical circulation to add dissolved oxygen to the water. This circulation helps to maintain an ecological balance, which in turn assures sufficient water quality. Rain Bird® offers a complete line of Lake Management Aerators that help to maintain this water quality to support efficient golf course irrigation.
Poor water quality and its effect on golf course irrigation.
When a lake or pond loses its ecological balance, the effects or symptoms are readily apparent:
Unsightly algae build-up
Aggressive weed growth
Unpleasant odor
Depleted fish populations
If this water source is used to supply a golf course irrigation system, the effects are compounded—functionally and aesthetically:
Clogged sprinkler heads, valves and pumps
Damaged turf
Loss of water storage capacity
Odors, fish kills and insect breeding
Diminished aesthetic appeal
Not acting to preserve lake or pond water quality results in a dramatic increase in costs to restore the ecological balance. Again, when this water source is used for golf course irrigation, those costs are compounded.
Clogged Pumps. The build up of sludge and sediment makes it impossible to irrigate. In many cases, a commercial diver must be brought in to clear the pump. This can take four to eight hours and generally is expensive. An associated cost is repairing turf that was damaged due to a lack of irrigation during the clogged/unclogging timeframe.
Sediment Blocking Valves and Sprinklers. Sediment/sludge build-up in valves and sprinklers effects efficient water flow, which can lead to turf damage—turf is either burned or saturated due to insufficient or excess water delivery. The cost in hours and dollars to repair or replace the turf is dependent on the extent of damage. For example, one course has spent up to $7,500 annually to repair damage, another nearly $20,000 annually. Ground Under Repair also effects course playability and appearance, which can negatively impact member/player experience and repeat rounds.
Black Layer/Black Root Zone. When sediment containing heavy metals, anacrobic bacteria and partially decomposed organic nutrients is present in water used for irrigation, it is likely that a black layer or black root zone will be created. This layer or zone essentially seals the turf, preventing the absorption of needed oxygen and nutrients. Often it is necessary to re-core the turf using USGA mix—or in extreme cases—rebuild and shape greens. The price tag to remedy the problem can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Loss of Storage Capacity. Sediment/sludge build-up accumulates at a rate of 1" to 5" (2 cm to 12 cm) per year. At a mid-range rate of 3" (8 cm) per year, a surface acre (4,000 m2) lake loses 80,000 gallons (300 m3) of storage capacity. Imagine the effects after 20, 50 or 100 years. Loss of storage capacity, especially during the hot months—or under drought conditions—can seriously impact the amount of water available to maintain an effective irrigation program.
Bottom Line
The price to be paid for not acting to ecologically balance the water source used for golf course irrigation extends far beyond algae blankets, buzzing insects and an unpleasant odor. The costs associated with unclogging pumps, repairing or replacing valves, sprinklers—and most importantly, entire turf sections and greens—can be very high. There is a practical, far less expensive solution—the installation of a Rain Bird Lake Management Aerator.
Benefits of Rain Bird® Lake Management Aerators
Rain Bird Lake Management Aerators effectively work to maintain an ecological balance in lakes or ponds less than 15' (5 m) deep. With the addition of dissolved oxygen into the water and the resulting convection patterns that reduce stratification, these surface aeration systems provide a number of practical, economic and aesthetic benefits.
Performance Advantages of Lake Management Aerators
Lake Management Aerators available from Rain Bird improve the quality of water used for golf course irrigation by impacting three factors:
Oxygen—aerating the water encourages aerobic digestion of nutrients by adding oxygen, which significantly reduces sediment/sludge build-up
Nutrients—potentially harmful nutrients are kept in ecological balance through oxidation and de-stratification
Temperature—mixing warmer surface and cooler bottom water with dissolved oxygen breaks down stratification to further enhance the ecological balance of adding carbon dioxide at lower levels
The introduction of oxygen by surface aerators effectively prevents anarobic digestion, which in turn dramatically reduces foul odors. Oxidation also reduces iron in irrigation water, which often causes staining on sidewalks, cart paths and buildings. A properly sized aerator will lower iron concentrations to less than 0.1 mg/L. In one case study, two aerators working in tandem lowered the iron concentration by more than 15 mg/L.
The advantages of installing a Rain Bird Lake Management Aerator far out-weight the costly disadvantages of doing nothing to improve a pond or lake that is utilized to supply water to a golf course irrigation system. Rain Bird offers a number of Lake Management Aerators to provide a tailored solution to ecologically balance source water.
Tech
Specs
LM Series Manual
