Irrigation/Drainage
Irrigation and drainage are key components to any athletic field management program. The following information provides facts and advice for proper irrigation and drainage strategies.
Rootzone Selection
Understanding the basic soil makeup is the first step to better irrigation practices and drainage.
The following is a guide to understanding the effect your athletic field rootzone has on water availability.
As water is applied to an athletic surface either by precipitation or irrigation, the water can:
• enter the rootzone. From there it can be taken up and used by turfgrass plants, lost to evapotranspiration, or percolate through the rootzone to recharge groundwater supplies.
• runoff the surface.
• evaporate into the atmosphere.
Rootzone construction is extremely important for how water enters and moves through the soil. The rootzone can affect water availability, and water tables. It is important to know the makeup of your rootzone in order to determine proper irrigation practices and what to expect with rain events.
Rootzone Construction (m)
Water Availability (m)
Water Tables (m)
Irrigation
Irrigation is necessary for athletic fields to supply moisture for turfgrass growth, wash in fertilizers and some pesticides, reduce surface hardness caused by heavy field use, promote seed germination, reduce tissue temperature during severe heat and drought stress, and contribute to overall player safety. On baseball fields, irrigation helps reduce dust and improves traction for players.
The goal of irrigation is to maximize precipitation and irrigation and minimize losses due to evaporation, transpiration, runoff, leaching or drainage. Effective irrigation applies enough water to soak the rootzone but avoids loss to drainage or runoff.
Amount and Frequency for Irrigation Application (m)
Irrigation Systems (m)
Drainage
Drainage is one of the most important issues when managing a sports field. Your field will not perform well if you do not have surface or internal drainage in place. Surface and subsurface drainage problems, such as standing water and high water tables, can pose a safety hazard to athletes and other users. These problems can also cause cancellation or postponement of events due to field closure. It is important to understand what types of drainage will work best for your field to enhance user safety and reduce field closures.
Drainage Solutions (m)
Rootzone Selection
Understanding the basic soil makeup is the first step to better irrigation practices and drainage.
The following is a guide to understanding the effect your athletic field rootzone has on water availability.
As water is applied to an athletic surface either by precipitation or irrigation, the water can:
• enter the rootzone. From there it can be taken up and used by turfgrass plants, lost to evapotranspiration, or percolate through the rootzone to recharge groundwater supplies.
• runoff the surface.
• evaporate into the atmosphere.
Rootzone construction is extremely important for how water enters and moves through the soil. The rootzone can affect water availability, and water tables. It is important to know the makeup of your rootzone in order to determine proper irrigation practices and what to expect with rain events.
Rootzone Construction (m)
Water Availability (m)
Water Tables (m)
Irrigation
Irrigation is necessary for athletic fields to supply moisture for turfgrass growth, wash in fertilizers and some pesticides, reduce surface hardness caused by heavy field use, promote seed germination, reduce tissue temperature during severe heat and drought stress, and contribute to overall player safety. On baseball fields, irrigation helps reduce dust and improves traction for players.
The goal of irrigation is to maximize precipitation and irrigation and minimize losses due to evaporation, transpiration, runoff, leaching or drainage. Effective irrigation applies enough water to soak the rootzone but avoids loss to drainage or runoff.
Amount and Frequency for Irrigation Application (m)
Irrigation Systems (m)
Drainage
Drainage is one of the most important issues when managing a sports field. Your field will not perform well if you do not have surface or internal drainage in place. Surface and subsurface drainage problems, such as standing water and high water tables, can pose a safety hazard to athletes and other users. These problems can also cause cancellation or postponement of events due to field closure. It is important to understand what types of drainage will work best for your field to enhance user safety and reduce field closures.
Drainage Solutions (m)
Irrigation Association
Hunter Irrigation Sports Field System Design
University of Minnesota - Soil Water Concepts
Ohio State University - Understanding Agricultural Drainage
Ohio State University Podcast - Irrigation System Maintenance
Ohio State University Podcast - Water Use Rates
Ohio State University Podcast - Drought Stress
Penn State University - Beneath the Surface
Penn State University - Gravel Drainage Specifications
Penn State University - Principles of Turfgrass Irrigation
Texas A&M University - Turfgrass Rootzones
Texas A&M University - Water Management on Turfgrasses
University of Georgia - Water Conservation and Use-Efficiency
US Drought Monitor
Hunter Irrigation Sports Field System Design
University of Minnesota - Soil Water Concepts
Ohio State University - Understanding Agricultural Drainage
Ohio State University Podcast - Irrigation System Maintenance
Ohio State University Podcast - Water Use Rates
Ohio State University Podcast - Drought Stress
Penn State University - Beneath the Surface
Penn State University - Gravel Drainage Specifications
Penn State University - Principles of Turfgrass Irrigation
Texas A&M University - Turfgrass Rootzones
Texas A&M University - Water Management on Turfgrasses
University of Georgia - Water Conservation and Use-Efficiency
US Drought Monitor
Interpreting Irrigation Water Test Results
Using Recycled Water on Golf Courses
Turf and Landscape Best Management Practices
Iowa State University - Procedure for Selecting a Sand Rootzone
Penn State University - Understanding Field Drainage
University of Kentucky - Sports Field Irrigation
Michigan State University - Improving Native Soil Athletic Field Drainage
Michigan State University - Best Management Practices for Non-Agricultural Irrigation
University of Tennessee - Irrigation
University of Massachusetts - UMass Guidelines for Watering Turf
North Carolina State University - Tools for Turfgrass Irrigation Water Management
North Carolina State University - Water Requirements of North Carolina Turfgrassess
SportsTurf Magazine - Renovating your turf? Try this drainage option
SportsTurf Magazine - Managing sports fields during water restrictions
Golf Course Management Magazine - Irrigation problems due to a microorganism
Recommended Irrigation Audit Guidelines
Troubleshooting Your Irrigation System
Turfgrass Cultivars for Water-Limited Environments
Using Recycled Water on Golf Courses
Turf and Landscape Best Management Practices
Iowa State University - Procedure for Selecting a Sand Rootzone
Penn State University - Understanding Field Drainage
University of Kentucky - Sports Field Irrigation
Michigan State University - Improving Native Soil Athletic Field Drainage
Michigan State University - Best Management Practices for Non-Agricultural Irrigation
University of Tennessee - Irrigation
University of Massachusetts - UMass Guidelines for Watering Turf
North Carolina State University - Tools for Turfgrass Irrigation Water Management
North Carolina State University - Water Requirements of North Carolina Turfgrassess
SportsTurf Magazine - Renovating your turf? Try this drainage option
SportsTurf Magazine - Managing sports fields during water restrictions
Golf Course Management Magazine - Irrigation problems due to a microorganism
Recommended Irrigation Audit Guidelines
Troubleshooting Your Irrigation System
Turfgrass Cultivars for Water-Limited Environments
