WATER CONSERVATION TASK FORCE
2020-2021 Co-Chairs:
Shawn Emerson, Jeff Jensen, Ernie Pock, Rory Van Poucke and Mark Woodward, CGCS
MISSION
The Cactus & Pine Water Task Force exists to promote the water conservation and management goals of the Arizona golf industry and Arizona Department of Water Resources while educating our stakeholders on the importance of golf’s beneficial use of natural resources.
ENGAGEMENT
Member Communication MAY 26, 2020 (.pdf)
- A Conversation with Jeff Small, Senior Advisor to The Secretary of Interior
CONSERVATION ON THE GOLF COURSE
APACHE SUN GC, SAN TAN VALLEY, AZ
The pictures below are a comparison of what Apache Sun Golf Club, in San Tan Valley, looks like in the winter (green) and then summer (blonde). The unique way that Apache Sun G.C. conserves water is that the water is turned off in the summer for five months on the course (May through September). During the summer months, the golf course only waters the trees and plants through drip irrigation. The course then reseeds in the fall. Apache Sun G.C. uses Best Management Practices (Golf Course Superintendents Association of America) for water conservation. Some of the practices include using wetting agents, hand watering, checking sprinklers, soil tests and aerification to use water as efficiently as possible. This business model has been in place for over 30 years.
Rory Van Poucke, General Manager/Golf Course Superintendents Association of America -Class A member
Apache Sun GC, San Tan Valley, AZ
on Twitter @PouckeRory
WATER AGENCIES
- ADWR Active Management Areas
The 1980 Arizona Groundwater Code recognized the need to aggressively manage the state’s finite groundwater resources to support the growing economy. Areas with heavy reliance on mined groundwater were identified and designated as Active Management Areas (AMAs). The five AMAs (Prescott, Phoenix, Pinal, Tucson, and Santa Cruz) are subject to regulation pursuant to the Groundwater Code. Each AMA carries out its programs in a manner consistent with these goals while considering and incorporating the unique character of each AMA and its water users.
CENTRAL AZ PROJECT (CAP)
In the early 20th century, Arizona’s leaders knew the state’s future depended on a water supply that was secure, stable and renewable. They pursued that vision; the result was Central Arizona Project (CAP), a 336-mile system that brings Colorado River water to central and southern Arizona, delivers the state’s single largest renewable water supply and serves 80% of the state’s population.
BUREAU OF RECLAMATION
Established in 1902, the Bureau of Reclamation is best known for the dams, powerplants, and canals it constructed in the 17 western states with a mission to manage, develop, and protect water and related resources in an environmentally and economically sound manner in the interest of the American public.
CONSERVATION
RESEARCH & RESOURCES
AZ GOLF BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES (BMPs)
The Arizona Golf Industry Best Management Practices guide includes information on golf course planning, design and construction; irrigation; surface water management; water quality monitoring and management; nutrient management; cultural practices; integrated pest management; pesticide management; pollinator protection; and energy use.