Fall Drainage and Flood Prevention Work

Flood repair work 9-10-11 Hawk

During the past few months the Club has been working with a hydrological engineering firm to assist with plans to address flooding issues at the Club. As members are well aware, wet weather in May and June produced conditions that caused flooding on numerous areas of the golf course. Flooding caused damage to bridges, stream banks, cart paths and rendered the golf course unplayable due to safety issues. Due to flood damage, the golf course was closed for a number of days, multiple times, while staff and contractors repaired flood damage preventing golfers from enjoying the golf course and the Club incurred significant expenses for these repairs.

Flood waters breach creek banks as culverts cant handle excessive flow by Hawk 9 green

Flood water erodes the cart path and rock armouring on the down stream side of 9 Hawk

Flood damage compromised the safety of the cart path, the integrity of the irrigation system and damaged the rock stilling basin next to 9 Hawk cart path.

The current plan for reducing the flood potential on Hawk holes 9, 10 & 11 is to remove culverts under cart paths that restrict water flow and replace the culverts with bridges or larger culverts, on the recommendation of the Club's engineers. Once the culverts are removed and the irrigation system piping is re routed, the creek bed will be able to pass numerous times more water without breaching the banks causing damage. The other aspect of the repair work on holes 9, 10, 11 Hawk is creek bank stabilization. As flooding took place, the force of increasing water flow created damage to creek banks as water scoured sections away. Rock armouring and other means of bank stabilization will be installed to prevent future damage to golf course features such as greens, fairways, cart paths and bunkers.
The work on Hawk 9,10,11 is to commence October 1st. The work is starting on October 1st as all leagues/member tournaments are done, it provides the Club the time it needs to complete the work this year so the course can open on time in the Spring and it prepares those holes for the inevitable snow melt/rain fall that produces excessive flows in the creek.
The culverts need to be removed when the ground is not frozen to facilitate their removal with the least amount of surrounding damage. If the Club installs bridges screw piles and concrete abutments must be installed when the ground is not frozen, which means October as opposed to November or the Spring. If the Club installs larger culverts they too must be installed when the ground/creek is not frozen and the flow through the creek is minimal. Once the Club removes the 4 culverts Hawk 9,10 and 11 are effectively shut down for golfers and the priority becomes restoring the cart path for use first thing in the Spring.

17 Raven Flood Repair and Prevention
Following the October Thanksgiving long weekend (October 11th), work is scheduled to begin on flood prevention and repair work at 17 Raven pond. Once again with excessive rain in May and June of this year the pond in front of 17 Raven red tee over topped due to the existing culverts inability to pass enough water. As the water over topped the pond banks the cart path and down stream slope was eroded and devastating damage was averted as staff sand bagged and controlled water flows throughout the flooding. The work to prevent future flood damage on this area will include increasing the size of the culvert drain inlet and creating a spill way on the downstream side of the pond bank. In the second picture below you will note that had the Turf Care staff not sand bagged and fabric armoured the down stream slope from the cart path the whole hill side may have unravelled thereby washing out the cart path and destroying the integrity of the pond.

Turf Care Staff sand bagging 17 Raven cart path edge to divert water for erosion prevention as the pond over tops.

Sand bags and tarps direct water flow over the down stream side of 17 Raven pond bank as the pond drain (culvert) cannot handle excessive water flow. Note the erosion damage to the banks from previous flood damage.

10 Raven Drainage work will be performed on number 10 Raven fairway and rough areas to divert surface water from rain storms and snow melt away from 10 green and cart path south to Priddis Creek to reduce the likelihood that the green and cart path will slump again from excessive surface water drainage across the green and down the path.

Slumping on 10 Raven green caused by excessive surface/ground water in and around the green area.

Cart path failure at 10 Raven green area as unstable conditions lead to the path separating creating dangerous conditions leading to closure of the path.

Repair work to 10 Raven green, irrigation and drainage systems.

Contractors replace the damaged cart path next to 10 Raven green.