Golf Course Pond Water Problem

[cory0789]

This is a public course that the pond in which all of our water is stored before it is pumped out and used to water the grass on the course currently has severe algae issues. 

We currently had a company inspect the pond and clean out 10-12 ft diameter around the intake of the pump to the sprinkler system due to how much algae we were blowing through the sprinkler heads. With this we found that there is 5ft of algae throughout the pond in which the pond is 12-13ft deep across it so this should tell you how bad the problem is. We had a green-keeper that did not treat the pond for the last 6 months in which he is now gone. The current green-keeper is feeding what he calls "spikes" on a monthly basis as well as a bio pump. I would like to know if we can keep bermuda and bent grasses that we have on our course alive if we can SLUG feed CHLORINE tablets to the pond on a weekly basis. If so how do we go about doing this and what chlorine residual do we need to be aware of that will start to kill the grass??? He gave us a 5 year clean-up on the current treatment program and said there is nothing else that can be done....!!!

 

THANKS FOR ANY HELP INPUT ON THIS ISSUE

[iacas]

Very few people here are specialists in this area, but… Couldn't you just dredge the surface of the pond and take out a lot of the algae that way? If it's five feet thick, it would seem to help a bit, no?

I'm sure you can do something in less than five years.

[jsgolfer]

13 hours ago, cory0789 said:

This is a public course that the pond in which all of our water is stored before it is pumped out and used to water the grass on the course currently has severe algae issues. 

We currently had a company inspect the pond and clean out 10-12 ft diameter around the intake of the pump to the sprinkler system due to how much algae we were blowing through the sprinkler heads. With this we found that there is 5ft of algae throughout the pond in which the pond is 12-13ft deep across it so this should tell you how bad the problem is. We had a green-keeper that did not treat the pond for the last 6 months in which he is now gone. The current green-keeper is feeding what he calls "spikes" on a monthly basis as well as a bio pump. I would like to know if we can keep bermuda and bent grasses that we have on our course alive if we can SLUG feed CHLORINE tablets to the pond on a weekly basis. If so how do we go about doing this and what chlorine residual do we need to be aware of that will start to kill the grass??? He gave us a 5 year clean-up on the current treatment program and said there is nothing else that can be done....!!!

 

THANKS FOR ANY HELP INPUT ON THIS ISSUE

I guess it would depend on the chlorine level (mg/l) that the grass would be getting once the water is withdrawn from the pond (would have to be really high).  Although I'm not a greenskeeper, but lots of courses use public water systems to supplement their own ponds during droughts and most water systems tend to have somewhere in the neighborhood of 2 mg/l level of chlorine (or chloramines).   I would assume that he is feeding the chlorine fairly far away from the intake, so that a heavy does of chlorine isn't getting into the water system.  And even then, I would guess that you'd almost need to feed straight chlorine directly onto the grass in order to have any problems.

Drinking water reservoirs, typically, use products designed to limit phosphorous, aluminum sulfate for instance, but you'd need a good phosphorous loading for that to work.  But I'm not sure about any permitting requirements if you do that.  We get lots of nutrient loading from stormwater runoff and wastewater treatment plants that discharge into our watershed. 

5 years seems like a long time.  Raking could be a way to start the process, but that can be laborious and never ending.  Especially if it's 5 feet thick, but anything that you can take out is something that you don't have to treat with chemicals, which is a good thing.  

I'd contact an Engineer to have them take a look at it.  They would probably be able to determine where the problem is coming from and possibly have recommendations which will make the problem go away quicker.  

[cory0789]

We are not chrrently treating with chlorine... But I would like to start of it will help speed up the process of cleaning up the pond. I am trying to find out what FCL residual I need to stay below to start slug feeding chlorine tablets so it does not kill the grasses...

[jsgolfer]

17 minutes ago, cory0789 said:

We are not chrrently treating with chlorine... But I would like to start of it will help speed up the process of cleaning up the pond. I am trying to find out what FCL residual I need to stay below to start slug feeding chlorine tablets so it does not kill the grasses...

From the Colorado State University Extension  (http://www.ext.colostate.edu/ptlk/1548.html), In order to kill soil microorganisms to 6 inch soil depth, water containing 65 parts per million of chlorine was required in one study .

We use the slug method (100 mg/l) to disinfect water mains (>24"), as it requires a shorter contact time to kill any bacteria that may be in the pipe prior to testing, allowing us to put the water main back in-service quicker.  I'm not sure why you would want to do it that way, how you would do it for a pond or if you would achieve what you are trying to do?  

I know what we do when we have algal blooms, but I would suggest getting a second opinion from an Environmental Engineer who specializes in this type of problem.  

 

[NualgiLakes]

Hi Cory, 

I believe we can help. I'm not trying to advertise but I really think this can help solve your algae problem. My company produces a natural solution called Nualgi that uses diatoms to eliminate algae for clearer water and improved oxygen levels. It is not an algae-cide so will not harm the surrounding greens. It removes nitrogen and phosphorus in the water while drastically reducing the levels of other elements that fuel the algae. 

I would love to get in contact with you, please email me at anil@nualgilakes.com. Thank you! 

P.S. You can learn more on my website: http://www.nualgilakes.com/

[Buckeyebowman]

On 11/28/2016 at 9:21 PM, NualgiLakes said:

Hi Cory, 

I believe we can help. I'm not trying to advertise but I really think this can help solve your algae problem. My company produces a natural solution called Nualgi that uses diatoms to eliminate algae for clearer water and improved oxygen levels. It is not an algae-cide so will not harm the surrounding greens. It removes nitrogen and phosphorus in the water while drastically reducing the levels of other elements that fuel the algae. 

I would love to get in contact with you, please email me at anil@nualgilakes.com. Thank you! 

P.S. You can learn more on my website: http://www.nualgilakes.com/

To echo this response, there are pond water specialists all over the place if anyone would bother to take a look!

[chilepepper]

You may want to give Texas A&M or Mississippi State U a call. Both have/pretty good turf grass research depts. back in the day I used copper sulphate on our ponds to keep algae at bay. I wouldn't venture a guess though what rate would be safe for bent or Bermuda though. A fountain/ aerifier would help.

Edited December 17, 2016 by chilepepper