SportsTurf provides current, practical and technical content on issues relevant to sports turf managers, including facilities managers. Most readers are athletic field managers from the professional level through parks and recreation, universities.
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/714252
IRRIGATION & DRAINAGE 36 SportsTurf | September 2016 www.sportsturfonline.com BENEATH THE SURFACE Grass fields are some of the most popular, best loved facilities nationwide. But not all fields are equal. And looking at it from the surface, the average person may not be able to see what causes one field to drain well and another to be wet and unusable. That's because in most cases, the secret is actually underneath the grass, in the soil. Here's a quick synopsis (which, by the way, is not meant to replace the knowledge or input of a knowledgeable professional.) There are two basic types of natural grass fields: native soil and sand-based. A native soil field may be a true native field, in which only the soil found at the site is present, or a modified native soil field, or a sand-cap field. A sand-based system, meanwhile, is one in which the native soil is completely removed, and replaced with an under-drain system and a drainage media layer (principally stone and rootzone material that is largely sand) to improve drainage. None of these fields is "better," per se; however, one may be better than another in any situation. According to the book, Sports Fields: A Construction and Maintenance Manual, "The main problem with native soil fields is drainage. Most native soils absorb water quite slowly and cannot handle large amounts; therefore, without additional provision for drainage, these fields can easily become muddy, worn and/or unusable." So the question becomes this: do you have good drainage, or does it need some help? If you would like to see your field drain a bit better, ask the right people for advice. A knowledgeable professional can help you examine your options and decide, for example, whether you should consider amending the soil in the field. Depending upon your budget, your priorities, your weather conditions and your usage, this may (or may not) be the best option. Amending your soil can be looked at as an investment; while it might not be the aesthetic improvement you've dreamed of (as would be the case with lights, scoreboards and so forth), it can pay dividends down the road in making the field drain better and thus, be playable sooner after a rain. However, it is only one part of the drainage equation. The amount of slope your field has will also play into how well it sheds water. Fields may be crowned in the center (so that water runs to both sides) or they may be tilted to one side. Different governing bodies, such as the NCAA or the NFHS, will require varying degrees of slope for each sport. The most current version of the rules for the correct governing body should always be available. This next tip may sound self-evident, but it's often forgotten: The only water that gets onto the field (no matter what type of field) should be either rainwater or planned irrigation. In other words, water that comes off the bleachers or the dugout roof, drips down hillsides or comes off any other structure or slope should be intercepted and collected by perimeter drainage before it gets the chance to hit the field.