It varies from the red clay hills of the Panhandle to the coral shores of the Keys; from the deep sands of the Suwannee Valley and the Central Ridge to pine flatwoods throughout the state; and it includes the vast river of grass called the Everglades. Ninety percent of Florida’s drinking water comes from underground aquifers, many of which have only a highly permeable layer of sand above to protect them from contamination by chemicals used in daily life, like gasoline, pesticides, and solvents. Nutrients like the nitrogen and phosphorus contained in fertilizers, reclaimed water, and septic discharge, may upset the balance of Florida’s waterbodies, leading to weeds, algae, fish kills, and the replacement of game fish with less desirable species.
This document on Best Management Practices (BMPs) covers many of the aspects of managing a golf course in an environmentally sound manner.
Beginning in the late 1990’s, several pioneers in the Florida golf course management industry had the vision and awareness to create the first Golf Course Best Management Practices manual. The Florida Golf Course Superintendents Association collaborated with the University of Florida, the United States Golf Association, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) and successfully published this manual in early 2007.
As the first of its kind, the Florida manual was also used by the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America in their national initiative to have state-specific Golf Industry BMP manuals in all 50 states by 2020; a lofty goal that was achieved.
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