The Creston Golf Club is building a pond to trap water, not golf balls.
The Creston Golf Club reached out to the RDCK for help with their water sustainability project. Under the “Community Works Grant”, District Area B gave $75,000 and District Area C gave $35,000.
Club Member and grant applicant Richard Allen says the 5.7 million litre reservoir will catch storm water, alleviating the club’s reliance on the Goat River. He says it’s an important step, as the river levels keep dropping.
“We are proposing to excavate our reservoir around the end of August. We are proposing to install our new wet well, which is the water intake for the pump. Then, over the winter and into next spring, we will be purchasing our pump, and the pump house so that we are ready by next season.”
Allen explains that there are already two existing ponds. The pond at the highest ground serves as a reservoir to irrigate the golf course. Another pond on the 14th hole is cosmetic. The initial plan was to simply expand the cosmetic pond, but it would effect the habitat of the wildlife which cal lit home, including turtles. Now the plan is to build a second pond next to the cosmetic one, with a pump that can feed the irrigation reservoir on higher ground if needed.
According to Allen, the upgrade will be needed sooner rather than later.
“Our golf course superintendent told me three weeks ago that the river level was five inches lower than it was last year. And last year was… bad.”
Allen explains that the new reservoir will be able to sustain the greens and tees should water sources dry up. He says if the greens die so would the golf course, as replacing them would cost up to $2 million.