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Columbia Edgewater Country Club recognizes the importance of environmental stewardship and sustainability. The management staff and Board of Directors are committed to optimizing golf course management practices to protect the environment within and around the golf course. In our efforts to address environmental issues, we have undertaken an extensive review of regulatory and public concerns in order to develop four main Environmental Stewardship Guidelines. Our main Environmental Stewardship Guidelines are:
Best Management Practices (BMPs)
In our day to day operations we attempt to operate as safely and efficiently as possible by following a set of operational standards known as Best Management Practices (BMPs). Our BMPs guide our cultural practices; our use of fertilization, irrigation and pest managment; our compliance with environment regulations; our waste management practices and our concern for the safety of our employees, guests, wildlife and the environment.
Integrated Pest Management (IPM)
The broad objective of the Integrated Pest Management plan is to maximize the use of natural methods to control pests through disciplined management practice. Several examples of natural methods to control pests include: optimizing turf health through cultural practice to enhance natural plant resistance to pest infestation; optimizing habitats for beneficial species; and minimizing turf damage resulting from routine golf course operations. In spite of the use of natural methods whenever possible, in certain instances the use of chemicals such as pesticides to control some pests is unavoidable. An essential component of the Integrated Pest Management plan is the coordination of the ongoing use of natural methods with the selective use of these agents as a means of minimizing pesticide application.
Water Quality Monitoring
The areas of concern regarding the impact of golf course practices on water quality are eutrophication (nutrient loading) and toxicity. Our Water Quality Monitoring Program is designed to establish accountability as it pertains to water quality. We perform bi-annual water sampling using EPA methods and follow the guidelines set forth by the Oregon Golf Course Superintendant Association (OGCSA). During these tests we check for the presence of the nutrient indicators phosphorus and nitrate, as well as any fertilizers that may have been used in the past six months. Should the nutrient indicators or any level of fertilizer be detected in the sampling process, corrective action will be taken to nullify and correct the problem, with the attention given to preventing future occurances.
Wildlife Habitat Enhancement
Audubon International, in collaboration with the United States Golf Association (USGA), has developed the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program (ACSP) to help address environmental concerns associated with golf courses. The program addresses the impact of water consumption, natural habitat for wildlife species and chemical use and reduction, and considers the value of the open space that golf courses offer in urban environments. The program is designed to help golf courses take stock of both their resources and their potential problems, and helps tailor solutions that are unique to the setting and goals of each course. Columbia Edgewater has been a member of the ACSP since 1995. As a result of our participation in the program we have: reduced water usage with an updated irrigation system; installed nesting boxes around the course to increase nesting habit; reduced chemical usage through our Integrated Pest Management plan; planted aquatic plants and native vegetation alone water shorelines; implemented a butterfly and hummingbird garden and kept an inventory of bird and mammal species sighted on property.
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Pacific Chorus Frog
The Bird Cam
Blue Heron
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