The Impact of Golf Courses on Stream Water Temperature

摘要

Golf courses are an increasingly prominent feature across the urban landscape. Most courses contain streamsthat pass through the course grounds and have the potential to chemically, biologically, and physically alter these streamsand their aquatic ecosystems. This study assessed the impact of five golf courses in Greenville, South Carolina on streamwater temperature. Courses were selected that had continuous, tributary and lake free reaches that passed through the golfcourse grounds. At each course, stream water temperature was measured at 5 minute intervals from July – October 2008just upstream and downstream of the course. Under baseflow conditions during the period of record, the sites downstreamof the courses exhibited (1) elevated stream water temperatures (on the order of 3 – 4 °C during the afternoon hours) and(2) increased diurnal temperature ranges (1 – 4 °C larger) compared to their upstream counterparts. The observedtemperature differences between the upstream and downstream sites at each course were primarily due to the lack ofriparian cover along the golf course reaches. The magnitude of the temperature differences among the courses was largelya function of stream discharge. Although the impacts of these temperature modifications on the ecology, biology, andchemistry of the stream system were not assessed, the changes are large enough to be of ecological concern. New golfcourse guidelines that recommend or require the retention of sizable vegetated buffers along stream banks that shade thestreams may be necessary to help protect the health of these aquatic ecosystems.