During our sampling of the Dog River this past week the initial findings at the Northfield Country Club were interesting. This rusty colored substrate was found at a downstream location on the Golf Course. As no testing has been conducted on the actual growth, we are unable to make an assumption to what this is.
Due to the large amounts of products used by golf courses to maintain their facilities this is most likely a result. Water samples were taken at this location to be tested for phosphates and nitrates. These are the main ingredients to fertilizers which can easily leach into the Dog River. Since the course lies within the heart of the valley with the Dog River running right through the bottom all the runoff directly flows into the Dog. With assumed high levels of contamination this can result in rapid growth of many organisms and bi-products.
This is important for large agricultural lands and recreational facilities such as golf courses to look at their products and levels they produce in nitrate and phosphates. If there is no system in place to treat their run off or capture it, it is to a sense selfish that they use these products and “wash them down the drain” without looking at their impact to the ecosystem.
The main reason nitrates and phosphates are so harmful to healthy waterways is because of their role in the natural ecosystem. They act as a source of nutrients to the aquatic plant life but can very easily raise beyond the natural levels. Once there are high levels it is in abundance to the vegetation and can lead to outbreaks called algae blooms. With algae blooms, the algae turn into the main consumer of oxygen. With this extreme demand it takes all the oxygen away from the other organisms such as fish and insects that require these high levels of DO.
This is a common problem across the country and even the world. With large agricultural producers showing up everywhere it is a problem that needs to be addressed. The local problem with the Dog River is with the growth of locations along the Dog. This is changing the natural chemistry of the water and can affect the water quality. As the highest levels were recorded at the country club and the intersection at the Winooski, it is clear to say the Country club is a contributor along with other tributaries to the Winooski.