Feature Story
Managing Turfgrass for a Healthy Chesapeake Bay, Rivers and Streams By Joe Wood, Ph. D.
W
hether it’s fishing for brook trout in Blue Ridge streams, paddling the James River near Richmond, or enjoying local oysters on the Eastern Shore, we all benefit from clean waterways in Virginia. Likewise, how turfgrass is managed is essential to the health of local streams, rivers and waters downstream in the Chesapeake Bay. In developed parts of Virginia, turfgrass is among the most common land covers. That’s why using sustainable practices on turfgrass is critical to not only ensuring beautiful green spaces, but also protecting our valuable waterways. The key lies in addressing polluted runoff—one of the biggest threats to clean water in Virginia. It occurs when heavy rains wash a mix of chemicals, sediment, and excess nutrients, and other pollution off buildings, streets, parking lots, and even lawns and golf courses. This pollution contributes to murky waters, algal blooms, lowoxygen dead zones, and a host of other problems in our rivers and the Chesapeake Bay.
Two ways to minimize polluted runoff are through proper nutrient management for turfgrass and conservationminded landscaping. Notably, bare cover is especially bad for clean water. Sustainably-managed turfgrass is one way to avoid damage caused by runoff from muddy exposed soil. The turfgrass industry is an important partner in the Chesapeake Clean Water Blueprint—the multistate effort to clean up waters across the six-state Bay watershed. State and local governments have committed to achieve specific, measurable pollution reductions under the Blueprint. The states agreed to have the 60 percent of the needed programs and practices in place by 2017, and to complete the job by 2025. The Blueprint calls on everyone to do their part, including farmers, cities and towns, wastewater treatment plants, and of course turfgrass professionals. The turfgrass industry has specifically helped accomplish significant goals under the Blueprint, including supporting legislation that prohibits
26 | Virginia Turfgrass Journal May/June 2019 www.vaturf.org
