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: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/356087
www.stma.org August 2014 | SportsTurf 33 your catch cans in a uniform grid in multiples of four (28 catch cans, 40 catch cans, etc.) within that area. By necessity, irrigators water to the driest areas, so you're assessing your lower-quarter distribution uniformity, or the poorest perform- ing 25 percent of sprinkler coverage for the affected area. Run every zone that covers the affected area for 15, 20 or 30 minutes – enough time to register measurable amounts in the catch-cans that are con- vertible to inches or milliliters per hour. This reveals your problem heads/zones and your per-hour precipitation rate – data necessary for comparing what your site gets to what it needs (based on turf type, soil profile, drainage, evapotranspiration rates, sustained winds, sun exposure, etc.). Whether you've conducted an all-inclusive, system-wide audit, or catch-can tested select areas within the park, you've gathered important data, and now it's time to put it to work. Provided your water volume, flow and pressure(s) are still at design levels, triage your repairs, plan any sprinkler head relocations, build you inven- tory and adjust scheduling accordingly. Get your crews out and start effecting the simple improvements, focusing on safety and equipment integrity, while planning larger projects that require significant budgets and disruption, like pump station issues or pipe sizing challenges. Organize a regular irrigation system inspection program. Determine which parts to keep in stock for quick repairs, including all sizes of pipe and fittings; electric valves; wire and connectors; swing joints and risers; and sprinkler heads and nozzles. Ensure that the spare parts are of the same make and model as those in the field. Product integrity plays a big role in efficiency. Most field managers have inherited their systems with all their scabs and warts. Performing a system audit can put you in a position to truly improve your playing surface through a surgical approach, rather than constantly putting bandages on a tumor. Vinchesi suggests enrolling in Irrigation Association certified landscape or golf irrigation auditor programs. "These courses, sched- uled throughout the year across the country, are worth your time," he says. "They provide important standardized tools and procedures, and sources for valuable localized data needed to generate accurate irrigation schedules." A proper irrigation audit documents core system problems and provides effective, triaged solutions as a blueprint for progress – with associated payback. Put your problems and solutions on the table and watch others wipe their sweaty palms and suppress their nervous ticks. ■ Luke Frank is a veteran green industry writer with extensive experi- ence with irrigation topics.