Nutrient, metal, and pesticide removal during storm and nonstorm events by a constructed wetland on an urban golf course

Abstract

Created wetlands used on a golf course have the potential for accepting, storing and filtering runoff from within the course and from neighboring areas. Our 4-year study was initiated on a renovated 18-hole golf course to evaluate the effect of created wetlands on pollutants originating from both urban runoff and golf course tile drainage systems. During sampled storm events between the period October 1998 and November 2000, golf course wetlands were effective in reducing 11 of the 17 non-zero parameters. These included NO 3, NO 2, NH 3, P, chemical oxygen demand, total organic carbon, Ca, Cl, Mg, Mn, and Na. (A total of 83 chemicals were measured but only 17 were above zero.) Therefore, stormwater exiting the golf course wetlands was an insignificant source of contamination for the watershed. During nonstorm events between the period April 2001 and November 2002, Al, Fe, Na, and SO 4 were elevated in concentration in water at the discharge point compared to water at the entrance point of the wetland. However, during nonstorm operations all of the water was held within the golf course's wetland system resulting in no flow or discharge. Our study showed that a golf course wetland can exert a positive effect on water quality compared to water entering the golf course or water in the larger watershed. The created wetland system in our study was efficient in improving quality of water originating during storm runoff and from golf course tile drainage. However, to insure maximum water quality improvement, wetlands should be sized to maximize water holding during storm events and to minimize outputs during nonstorm periods.