Paris Landing State Park Golf Course Named Groundwater Guardian Green Site
Friday, June 11, 2010 | 06:06am
Joins Bear Trace at Harrison Bay as Second Site in Tennessee
PARIS, Tenn. – Environment and Conservation Commissioner Jim Fyke is pleased to announce Paris Landing State Park’s Golf Course recent recognition as a Groundwater Guardian Green site. The Paris Landing course joins Bear Trace at Harrison Bay State Park as the only two sites in Tennessee with this designation from The Groundwater Foundation.
Groundwater Guardian Green Sites are places with significant green space – such as golf courses, ball fields, educational campuses and office parks – that implement effective groundwater and surface water practices to protect water quality. The Paris Landing State Park Golf Course documented an array of groundwater-friendly practices to earn this exclusive designation. The golf course is actively protecting local water supplies by optimizing fertilizer applications, applying natural organic products when possible and creating vegetative buffer areas around wetlands and shorelines.
“A large amount of the state’s public water supply is provided from groundwater and improving upon its protection is important to the safety and health of all Tennesseans,” Fyke said. “I commend Keith Hickman, Dwayne Hicks and the entire team at the Paris Landing course for their hard work and hope their efforts serve as an example of how good environmental stewardship can truly make a difference.”
In an effort to protect surrounding waterways and groundwater supplies, the Paris Landing State Park Golf Course has utilized native plants in their landscaping and converted more than 40 acres of highly maintained turfgrass to a natural state. These decisions have reduced fertilizer and chemical inputs into the environment and also decreased the amount of water required to irrigate these areas.
Groundwater Guardian Green Sites is a program administered by The Groundwater Foundation, a non-profit organization based in Lincoln, Nebraska, with a mission to educate and motivate the public to care about and for groundwater. To learn more, visit www.groundwater.org/gg/greensites.html.
The Paris Landing State Park Golf Course is situated on the western shore of Kentucky Lake, located in the "Land Between the Lakes" area. The entire course is tree-lined, with several holes skirting the lake – producing a natural balance of rolling land, trees and water. Paris Landing Golf Course also has achieved a "Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary" designation from Audubon International by demonstrating and maintaining a high degree of environmental quality. Paris Landing successfully met high Audubon standards in areas such as environmental planning, wildlife and habitat management, chemical use reductions, water conservation and water quality management. To learn more, please visit www.tngolftrail.net/traditionals/parislanding.
Tennessee's 53 state parks offer diverse natural, recreational and cultural experiences for individuals, families or business and professional groups. State park features range from pristine natural areas to 18-hole championship golf courses. For a free brochure about Tennessee State Parks, call toll free
1-888-867-2757. For additional information, visit our Web site at www.tnstateparks.com.
1-888-867-2757. For additional information, visit our Web site at www.tnstateparks.com.
###