public education , surveillance , and controlling the breeding of mosquitoes on public property through larvicide with B . T . I . briquettes in areas that are known to have concentrations of larva .
Integrated Pest Management
An Integrated Pest Management ( IPM ) program is in place for the City of Arlington golf courses and has been introduced at all parks . IPM is a holistic approach to facility maintenance that focuses on identifying pests and pest activity before they reach critical levels as well as all other aspects of maintenance . IPM does not preclude the use of pesticides , but emphasizes the importance of utilizing adapted plant species , understanding environmental conditions , following recommended cultural practices , monitoring pest populations and using the most effective solutions to combat problems . These solutions , which include cultural , biological , and chemical methods , are designed to balance environmental concerns with plant management . Select golf and park employees are designated as “ scouts ” and are responsible for monitoring and reporting any potential pest activity , recording vital information such as location , weather conditions , changes in turf appearance , and symptoms . Through early detection of pest activity , cultural practices can be implemented as the first means of reducing pest activity and often the need for chemical control is avoided . As part of the management strategy , nest boxes and bat houses have been erected at the golf courses and various parks to entice insect-eating birds and bats to park properties .
While chemicals continue to be used on an as needed basis , park managers developed an approved list of chemicals for the Parks and Recreation Department . The chemical selection was based on environmental impact and cost effectiveness . In addition , Park Operations has adopted a “ just in time ” chemical inventory process . This process ensures that chemicals are purchased in quantities for a single application and eliminates the unnecessary storage of chemicals thus reducing potential risks for accidental spills .
The City ensures compliance with established use of guidelines of pesticides with licensed and trained applicators . These applicators apply appropriate rates and use of pesticides according to labels and comply with regulations governing the legal disposal of used containers . Materials are properly stored under cover and protected from stormwater . Licensed applicators consider the climatological conditions such as wind and rain for proper timing of applications . In addition , preventative maintenance programs are conducted to ensure that spray equipment properly dispenses accurate applications and to reduce the possibility of leakage from tanks , hoses or nozzles . Drainage channels are policed to ensure that chemical containers or other hazardous substances , which may threaten water quality , are properly disposed .
The most frequently used control of unwanted vegetation in the City of Arlington ’ s park system is organic mulches to cover bare soil in ground cover , annual , and shrub beds . Mulches reduce erosion , increase infiltration of rain and irrigation water and reduce irrigation requirements . The organic breakdown of mulches enhances the effectiveness of pesticides , herbicides , and fertilizers . Local tree services also add their tree chips to stockpiles in the various parks for mulching .
Following the IPM philosophy , City personnel conduct soil tests to diagnose soil conditions before fertilizer applications are administered , and before shrubs are planted in the City parks . The City follows proper mowing cycles that reduce the amount of grass clippings of turf for biodegradation . This reuse of plant material provides nutrients , which reduces the amount of fertilizer required . The golf courses and parks use organic and slow release fertilizers to minimize runoff potential . Nutrient experimentation continues with various natural products such as compost , corn gluten , sea kelp and molasses to find the most effective products to use throughout the park system .
V .
List of Municipal Facilities
The City of Arlington Public Works & Transportation Department , Stormwater Management Division , Environmental Management Group maintains a list of ( owned and leased ) municipal facilities and has identified those municipal operations that may have an impact on water quality . These include :
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