Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/175770
TLN1309-proof 9/11/13 11:14 AM Page 1 COVER STORY REPORT BY JEFF SUTHERLAND / REPRINTED FROM iG PARADISE CANYON'S "BLUEPRINT" FOR DEALING WITH FLOODING If anyone has a blueprint for how to handle a flood, it would be Paradise Canyon. Paradise Canyon has gone through floods in 1995, 2002, 2005, 2008 and 2010 when dams upriver have had to be opened after the reservoirs behind reached capacity. The flooding in 1995 was bad enough that they had to close for four weeks. Since then the staff under GM Mike Fleischhauer have developed approaches and procedures designed to minimize both impact and clean up time. This year they were closed only for eight days. While Fleischhauer does not really call it a system, there is a definite plan that they follow. If time permits, one thing they like to do is tarp the greens but this year they did not receive enough warning about the dams reaching capacity to go that far. They were able however ALL IMAGES COURTESY PARADISE CANYON to shave all the rough down to fairway height. Explains Superintendent Kelly Thosren, "Short grass traps less silt than long grass, that's basically why we cut the rough down to fairway height along the river this time." They were also able to put flags in to identify where sprinkler heads are so that they were able get access to water to hose away the soil once the clean up process began. "We were able to start hosing basically as soon as the water was turned back on," recalled Mike in an interview in mid August. "But the most important thing is getting access to Continued On Next Page 42 WESTERN CANADA TURFGRASS ASSOCIATION