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Drip drop in Coachella
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Call it a sign of the times, the writing on the wall or whatever else you will; the result of the Coachella Valley (Calif.) Water District’s revised landscape ordinance is a grim one for residents and golf courses alike in this California desert playground: Your grass is past.
Well, almost.
The original version of the ordinance adopted in 2003 and intended to curtail demand on the district’s aquifer, offered homeowners incentives to use water-efficient irrigation systems with “smart controllers” and established a maximum water allowance for developers to encourage non-grassed landscaped areas, which can be irrigated with less-wasteful drip systems. Despite the assertion of the district’s head engineer that the 2003 law was having the intended effect, prolonged drought conditions called for more extreme sanctions.
The revised ordinance, which went into effect Oct. 1, added a few “teeth,” among them this edict:
“Golf courses are limited to four acres of grass on average per golf hole and 10 acres of grass for the driving range and practice areas. All other, non-playable acreage must meet the ordinance’s other requirements.”
This applies to both new golf course developments and renovations of existing courses.
Even for golf course architects accustomed to dealing with desert demands, like Grant Haserot of Scottsdale, Ariz.-based Schmidt-Curley Design Inc., this comes as a bit of a shock.
“California’s basically catching up to what Arizona’s been doing for the last 20 or so years,” says Haserot, whose firm is responsible for the recently completed Avalon Golf Course in Palm Springs and the Citrus Ranch Golf Club project currently planned for Pulte Homes’ Shadow Hills III development in Indio. “Still, that’s just 82 acres (of grass) for a golf course, which is even more stringent.”
Citrus Ranch will be a target-style golf course, with much of the grounds capped with decomposed granite and planted to desert landscape, Haserot says. Justin Peloquin, a seven-year member of GCSAA who is still growing in the 18-hole Avalon GC, says his new course relies heavily on drip irrigation and landscaping with shrubs, groundcover and other desert-hardy plantings to cut water waste. Ironically, he points out, his city (which is not within the CVWD) seems to have been more concerned that he keep the dust generated by construction under control — by sprinkling with water, of course — than with conservation.
In drafting the revised ordinance, the CVWD staff says it solicited input and support from representatives of the building industry, golf course superintendents, landscape architects, other area water districts and local municipalities.
The CVWD’s crackdown is expected to save 16.3 billion gallons a year, and that’s going to have “a huge effect” on the locals, Haserot predicts, even if the design and turf management professionals know how to handle it.
“It’s a marketing/real estate problem now,” he says. “Sounds like the days are gone of walking out of your condo onto grass.”
To promote a dialogue about water issues and to provide scientific information about water resources and use, Congress recently established a Water Caucus. The co-chairs of the caucus are Rep. John Linder, R-Ga.; Rep. Jim Costa, D-Calif.; Rep. Bart Stupak, D-Mich.; Rep. Grace Napolitano, D-Calif.; and Rep. George Radanovich, R-Calif.; all longtime advocates of sound water policy. At least 18 other lawmakers have expressed interest in joining. The new caucus identified the “Twelve Principles of Water Policy” to secure sufficient water supply for urban and rural areas, consider technologies to increase water supply efficiency and implement efficiency improvement strategies. For more information, visit www.irrigation.org/gov/watercaucus.htm. Belmont Hills Golf Club in Warwick, Bermuda, recently took merit honors in the National Excellence in Irrigation Awards in the golf course irrigation category from the American Society of Irrigation Consultants. Recognized was Bob Scott of Irrigation Consultant Services, Conyers, Ga. The annual awards honor the sound science and judgment required of an independent irrigation consultant. Awards are given based on quality of project planning, design in functionalism, environmental responsibility and relevance. Jose Benevides is the International Superintendent Member at the course. |
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