Money "Traps"

I fully understand that the playability of our bunkers is far less than ideal.  What I'd like for everyone to understand is that we are far beyond the point of improving them by simply adding new bunker sand.  I've said this before and I'll say it again, bunker sand has a "life expectancy".  That's right, a life expectancy.  Good quality bunker sand remains good quality bunker sand for about 5-7 years.  Now, I'm not saying that bunkers need to be completely renovated every 5-7 years, but in an ideal world the majority of bunker sand should be removed and replaced at least every 10 years to ensure the playability of the bunkers remains consistent and at its best.  The last time the bunker sand here at Quilchena was removed and replaced was well over 10 years ago.  From what I've been told it was about 20 years ago now.

Some factors that diminish the quality of the bunker sand are:

• weathering and heavy rainfall that results in "washouts" on the bunker faces
• subsurface contamination (stones migrating up through the bunker base)
• above ground contamination (grass clippings, leaves, twigs, divots and other debris)
• routine maintenance (bunker edging and raking)
• poor drainage
• animal activity (digging)

Why should we spend thousands and thousands of dollars to add sand to our already greatly contaminated bunkers?  Our bunkers already have plenty of sand in them, tons of sand actually.  The issue with the playability of our bunkers is the fact that the sand in them is so contaminated that it compacts and "crusts" very easily resulting in less than ideal bunker conditions.  Despite what some believe, adding new sands WILL NOT magically provide bunkers that play as if they were brand new again.  It is simply a "Band-Aid" fix that will prove to be a waste of money and resources in no time at all.

simply adding new sand isn't going to fix this

As I've stated time and time again since I arrived here at Quilchena, our bunkers are LONG OVERDUE for a complete renovation that includes: removing all the contaminated sand, installing new drainage, reshaping and restoring the bunker complexes and yes, even eliminating some bunkers that really don't come into play often enough to warrant the expense allocated to maintain them.  I assure you, it doesn't take long for the playability of new sand to appreciably deteriorate when the existing bunkers are already contaminated and the old drainage is failing considerably.  New bunker sand is not cheap and when you factor in the labour to add the new sand to the bunkers, the cost of it increases even more.  To spend even a single penny on adding sand without renovating them would be extremely wasteful and fiscally irresponsible.

Here are some photos that illustrate exactly what I'm saying:

bunker sand: current (left), new (middle), current mixed with new (right)

bunker sand: current (left), new (right)

bunker sand: new (left), current mixed with new (right)

As you can see, although there is a slight improvement in the visual quality of the bunker sand when mixing our current sand with new sand, the aesthetic improvement is certainly not substantial enough to warrant the expense.  The "chunks" and "crusting" you see in the current sand and the mixed sand is "silty" contamination and it's causing many of our bunkers to drain so poorly.  Infiltration rates of bunker sand should exceed 20 inches/hour (bare minimum) to drain properly and often exceed 50 inches/hour.  The infiltration rates of our current bunker sand is well below 20 inches/hour and mixing new sand with current sand will not provide the infiltration rates required to drain properly.

I'll leave you with a question from a concerned golfer to the USGA Green Section about simply adding sand to bunkers each spring:

Q: I have heard that many courses add a layer of new bunker sand to their bunkers each spring. Is this a good way to prepare the bunkers for play each season? (Delaware)

A: The answer is, probably not! Capping the bunkers with new sand is more of a Band-Aid strategy than correcting a bigger problem. However, there may be good reasons for adding a layer of sand: 1) top off a recently completed bunker renovation, 2) new drainage was installed and the sand finally settled, 3) more sand may be needed to achieve the proper uniform sand depth. If the bunkers drain poorly, are contaminated with silt and clay, or contain improperly sized sand, then they should be renovated rather than capped with more sand. You are only delaying the inevitable by adding a light layer of sand. The bunker should be rebuilt if the internal drainage system is compromised or if surface drainage channels water into the bunker.

Saturated Greens - What's the big deal?

Some members are suggesting that we are being too overprotective when we close the regular greens and move to temps under extremely wet, or saturated, conditions.  The damage caused by traffic on saturated turf is not immediately visible, so I fully understand how some may feel this way.  In fact, the damage is being done below the surface so you won't immediately see it, but I assure you that the damage being done will lead to many problems down the road.

#1 green - saturated

In an effort to ensure that everyone understands exactly what damage can be done to the regular greens if we allow them to be played when saturated, I emailed the USGA Director for the Northwest Region, Larry Gilhuly, to ask him to provide some expert advice.  

Larry Gilhuly - USGA Green Section

For those of you who may not be familiar with Mr. Gilhuly, he has conducted numerous site visits here at Quilchena to provide guidance and recommendations on how we can continually improve our Turf Care maintenance operation and the overall conditioning of the golf course.  We are pleased that Mr. Gilhuly will be lending his expertise to us again this summer during a Turf Advisory Service (TAS) visit.

Mr. Gilhuly was kind enough to provide a detailed response to my question and, with his permission, I'd like to share our email correspondence with you.

Jason Hooper wrote:

Good morning Larry,

Thanks again for your response to our Women’s Captain regarding her concerns of playing in frosty conditions.  That provided some much needed expert insight and advice for our membership.

We’ve recently implemented a new policy with regards to saturated greens.  In the past, if the golf course became so wet that the regular greens either had standing water on them or they were foot-printing from being saturated, the course would be closed until they were deemed playable again.  As you know, this is common practice for many golf courses here in the Lower Mainland and the Pacific Northwest.  Our new policy allows the golf course to remain open with temp greens put into play in the approaches for those holes where the regular green is deemed too wet for play.  Most members have been very accepting of this compromise to remain open as much as possible, but we do have some that feel we are being overprotective of the regular greens.

I was wondering if you could provide some insight on damage that can be caused to turf under saturated conditions.

Thanks for your time and I greatly look forward to hearing back from you.

Mr. Gilhuly responded:

Jason,

There is a major difference between walking on frosted vs. saturated conditions. Both cause significant damage to the turf, but the bottom line is one (frost) can be immediately seen with the footprints that are created and the turf that is often lost. The negatives of saturated conditions are seldom seen immediately, but when a hole is placed on a green and the combination of multiple sets of feet are focused in the small area around the hole the impact of compaction will occur. When even a few players congregate near the 4.25” target the combination of these many compactive forces does cause damage. That is one of the main reasons we have advocated the use of sand for decades as a way to minimize compaction while allowing water to move away from the surface. Sand helps add air to the root systems while finer silt and clay does not. However, during major rain events or just regular rain in our area, if an area that receives extensive traffic (soil or sand) is exposed to foot or any other type of traffic it will reduce air space for good root growth.

If good internal drainage exists (my understanding is one of your greens is excellent in this regard) then regular traffic in wet conditions can be achieved, however hole locations should be in seldom used “high and dry” areas with slower green speeds. Since you currently have well drained approaches this is the area that makes the most sense for use during the winter. I previously sent the attached article (Temporary Sanity) that makes the most sense for Quilchena. Having approaches that are well drained and receive intense aeration, thatch control and sand topdressing is the perfect compromise and will greatly benefit playing conditions during the regular growing season by allowing more “bump-and-run” shots. Keep the mowing heights down (approximately .250-.300”) to achieve a reasonable speed.

I hope this assists in explaining this common problem viewed in the Pacific Northwest. However, very few golf courses visited in the past several decades do not have some form of functioning drainage to virtually eliminate this problem. This topic and others should definitely be discussed next year as part of our TAS visit.

Course Update - December 3, 2012

We have been avoiding much of the forecasted rain the last couple days which has allowed the main playing areas of the golf course to dry out and firm up nicely.  Things are sure looking much better than they did on Friday!

November 30, 2012

The drier weather has also allowed us an opportunity to clean up and mulch many of the fallen leaves that litter the course this time of year.  This is not an easy task in wet conditions, but they need to be cleaned up and we really can't expect dry weather this time of year.  We have also been busy maintaining the cart paths to provide a smoother ride for those that take carts.  Please be patient with us as we work to keep the course clean throughout the winter as we are doing so with greatly reduced staff levels.  Our Turf Care Team has been reduced down to 4 crew members on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays and only 2 crew members on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and Mondays.  This does not include our mechanic and horticulturist.  

Speaking of our horticulturist, Jacqui has created a new blog that will provide detailed information on what she's up to and what she has planned for the landscaping around the Club.  On occasion, she will also be including some gardening tips to help you maintain your home gardens.  She is a great writer and I'm sure you'll find her blog to be a very enjoyable read!  Check it out here: Flora & Fauna

I'd like to clear up some confusion regarding our temp greens policy for extremely wet conditions.  In an effort to ensure the golf course remains open for play as much as possible, it was decided that temp greens would be used when the regular greens became too wet for play.  Before a temp greens policy was implemented for extremely wet conditions, the golf course would be completely closed for play, much like many other clubs in the lower mainland.  This new policy has allowed us to remain open even in the wettest conditions.

Much like with frost, traffic on saturated turf comes with serious consequences.  Compaction is inevitable which leads to severe agronomic issues that could and most likely will result in turf loss.  Again, I'm not overly concerned about foot traffic on wet fairways since the traffic pattern on them is much more scattered, unlike on the greens where traffic is highly concentrated.

We do not have any projects planned for this winter so it's going to be a quiet time of year for the Turf Care Department.  That being said, as we do every winter, we will be analyzing and tweaking our maintenance practices over the next couple months in an effort to continually improve the golf course.

We are already looking forward to what 2013 has to offer!  Hopefully a warmer and drier spring and a longer summer than we've experienced the last couple years!!!

Sand-banding.....Did it work?

Rewind back to May of this year: TDS West was on-site to complete sand-banding on #9 and #18 approaches to help alleviate the excessive puddling in these two areas and maximize the effectiveness and efficiency of our slit drainage system.  Sand-banding results in straight sand trenches that provide excellent drainage channels to help move water through the soil profile and into our slit-drainage system.  For a full refresher on exactly what sand-banding is, please read this previous blog post: http://qgolfclub.blogspot.ca/2012/03/another-drainage-update.html.

 

Now fast-forward to 6 months after the process to determine just how effective the sand-banding was.  Well, all I can say is that we are VERY impressed with the results!  The proof that the sand-banding has worked is clear to see during and immediately following heavy rainfall.  It rained throughout the night last night and I went out on the course today in the rain to take some profile samples of the sand-banding trenches to see how they were holding up.  Here is what I discovered:

 

taking a profile sample of a sand-banding trench on #18 approach

 

integrity of sand-banding trench holding up very well at 6 months

 

Okay, so now that we know that the sand-banding trenches are holding up well, just how effective has the sand-banding been for drainage?  Well, as much as I'd like for you to simply take my word for it, here are some photos that show just how well it is proving to work:

 

#9 approach prior to sand-banding

 

#9 approach 6 months following sand-banding

 

FYI, both of the pics above of #9 approach were taken following comparable amounts of rainfall.  Not too bad, eh?!?!

 

Now, let's see how the sand-banding on #18 approach measures up to how well it's working on #9 approach.  Again, as much as I'd love for you to simply take my word for it, I'll let the pics to the talking:

 

#18 approach prior to sand-banding

 

#18 approach 6 months following sand-banding

 

Yes, I am well aware of the two small spots on #18 approach that continue to puddle from rainfall.  Those are two very low areas that need to be stripped and properly graded so they drain properly.  We will be doing that in the coming weeks, along with some low spots on other fairways.  Until then, they will continue to puddle.

So it is clear that the sand-banding has proven to be very effective.  Not only are these two approaches no longer puddling, the overall turf health has greatly improved!  This is not surprising, but still a great side benefit of sand-banding.  Simply put, properly drained turf will always be healthier and will outperform poor draining turf.  

What we are not sure of yet is how long we can expect to reap the rewards of this process.  Although the concept has been around for decades, sand-banding in particular is a fairly new option for turf managers so very little data has been collected with regards to longevity of results.  Another thing to consider is that EVERY golf course is different and EVERY golf course will experience different results.  This is true with many aspects of golf course maintenance and is often overlooked and/or ignored.  While the course down the street may find that sand-banding provides 5-7 years of results, we may only see effectiveness for 2-4 years or maybe 7+ years!  It's difficult to say at this time just how long it will last, but one thing is for sure, IT WORKS!!!

 

What's up with the patches on the greens?

The funky looking patches you see on the greens right now is called Fusarium patch, also known as Microdochium patch.  It is a fungal turf disease that is very common this time of year as it thrives under cool, overcast and wet conditions resulting in prolonged leaf wetness.  Thatchy turf is also very susceptible to Fusarium patch and although we have made significant headway reducing the thatch levels in our greens through core aeration, topdressing and verti-cutting, there is still some work to be done to reduce it to an even more acceptable level.  Our maintenance programs are geared towards continuing to reduce thatch levels everywhere on the golf course.

Fusarium patch

The greens were treated with preventative fungicide applications prior to the disease development and have since been treated with curative applications in an effort to halt the disease from spreading further.  That being said, in some areas the Fusarium patch is showing some signs of resistance to the fungicide applications so we are monitoring it very closely.  We are also continuing to vent (needle-tine aeration) and lightly topdress the greens over the winter months to promote surface drying as moisture is a key component in disease development.

It's plain to see that #4 green has been the worst affected green out there, but the turf disease is present on all the other greens, with the exception of #18.  

Fusarium patch on #4 green

The lack of proper greens drainage is the main culprit for the high thatch levels and ultimately the Fusarium patch.  Case in point: #18 green.  This is our ONLY green with proper drainage and it is completely clear of any turf disease.  #18 green is without a doubt our healthiest and most consistent green on the golf course.  

Slit-drainage was installed on #18 green in the spring of 2010 as it was draining so poorly that it was closed for play for several months during the winter.  The process took two days to complete and the green was reopened for play immediately.  The long range course improvement plan includes slit-draining the rest of the greens, but it's difficult to determine just when they will be completed.  Until then, we will continue to do our best to reduce thatch levels and manage any disease the best we can.

Please understand that most of the Fusarium patch present is "in check" and the greens will recover from any damage done in the spring as soil temperatures warm up.

It's all about perception...

IT IS ALL ABOUT PERCEPTION and believe me, I understand that more than anybody.  I just returned from the Golf Shop where I fielded dozens of questions about why we moved to temporary greens yesterday when conditions became saturated.  Before I get into some of the questions and answers, I want to reiterate that before this recent decision to implement temp greens for extremely wet conditions, the course would close until the regular greens were deemed to be playable again.  This new temp greens policy is an effort to ensure the golf course remains open under saturated conditions without causing severe damage to the course.

Here are some of the questions and the answers I provided:

1.  How do we determine when the regular greens are too wet for play?

• This is quite simple actually.  Once the putting surface is so saturated that puddles begin forming or they are "foot-printing" from being so soft, they are closed to eliminate compaction from traffic.  Even though there may only be a single puddle on the green or maybe even no puddling at all, compaction is still a serious concern under these saturated conditions.  The damage being done won't be visible at the surface, but the compaction just below the surface will lead to many serious agronomic issues in the future.

2.  Once the decision has been made to move to temp greens, are the regular greens then closed for the day?

• No, the regular greens are constantly being reevaluated throughout the day and will be reopened if conditions improve.

 3.  Are we being too overprotective of our greens?  How much damage can we really cause by playing on saturated greens?

• First of all, it is my job to protect your investment.  I provide the Golf Committee with factual information and recommendations for them to then make educated decisions to create policies and standards.  Again, if it is their wish for the regular greens to remain open when saturated, I will then provide them with the potential consequences of doing so and the corrective measures that will be necessary to alleviate any damage done.  Compaction is a serious concern that leads to many other issues both at the surface and below.

4.  If the regular greens were too saturated yesterday for play, how can they possibly be firm enough to be rolled today?

• We received only 2.5mm of rain overnight (from 7pm to 7am), allowing the greens to drain well enough to handle the weight of the rolling equipment this morning.  There is a common misconception that rolling greens causes compaction when in fact, studies have shown this to be false.  That being said, we DO NOT roll the greens when they are saturated.

5.  Who do I contact to let my thoughts be known about the course policies?

• As I've said time and time again, PLEASE put your concerns and/or suggestions in writing to the Golf Committee and I assure you that they will be addressed and you will receive a response.  Simply voicing your opinion around the Club, whether it's to other members or to Quilchena employees, is not the proper channel if you'd like appropriate answers.

Temp Greens for Extremely Wet Conditions

Unfortunately, we were forced to close the golf course on Wednesday after it had endured over 24 hours of continuous rain leaving the greens unplayable.  I'm sure many of you are wondering how we determine whether or not the greens are playable.  Well, it's actually quite simple.  Once the turf is so saturated that puddles or standing water begin forming, they must be closed.  Allowing traffic on saturated turf would be detrimental to the playing surface.  The turf is at great risk of serious compaction in this condition.  

standing water on #1 green after heavy rain

A single foursome takes on average over 200 steps per green, so yes, even allowing play on the greens for the maybe 10-20 golfers that wish to play in the extremely wet conditions has a potential for severe compaction issues.  We have been working very hard over the past 4 years to continuously relieve compaction and reduce thatch levels on our greens to provide the best possible putting surfaces for our members and guests.  Traffic on saturated greens would be a giant step backwards against the progress we've made.

The greens are most susceptible due to the fact that all golfers ultimately end up on them and therefore they receive the most concentrated traffic.  We are not as concerned about the tees as we can dictate where the tee markers are placed on the tees to evenly distribute the wear and tear on them.  Obviously, traffic of fairways is spread out even more since golfers don't typically hit the ball in the same spot as their playing partners.  Also keep in mind that we will ALWAYS be more protective of the greens than any other areas on the course as they are the most important asset of any golf course.

We do understand that some golfers don't particularly mind playing golf in the extremely wet conditions and we are well aware that wet conditions are quite normal here in the lower mainland from the months of October through April....and well into May and even June in recent years.  In an effort to ensure the golf course remains open for play as often as possible, we have decided to go to a system of using temporary greens under extremely wet conditions.  If at any time during wet weather we begin experiencing standing water on the regular greens, the flag sticks will be removed from them and placed on the temporary greens in the approaches or fairways ahead of the regular greens.  When we are under a temporary green condition, ALL the regular greens, including the practice putting greens, will remain closed until deemed playable again by either the Superintendent or the Assistant Superintendent.  Please understand that this Temporary Greens Policy must be adhered to or we will have to revert back to closing the golf course under extremely wet conditions to ensure the integrity of our regular greens is not compromised.

Thank you for your understanding as we continue to do our best to protect YOUR investment!

ECO-TEA Biological Soil Amendment

Earlier this year I heard about a product named ECO-TEA.  I was hearing that this 100% organic cost-effective product could be safely applied to turf, shrubs, trees, roses and other plant material to help develop healthy root systems and improve disease resistance among other things.  I have to admit, having hearing about products that pledge to do all these wonderful things time and time again, I was more than a bit skeptical.  The golf season and turf maintenance season for that matter was in full swing so ECO-TEA quickly took a spot on the back burner.  It wasn't until now that I've have had some time to really research the product for myself.

  

So what is ECO-TEA you ask?  Well here is some information right from the product developer's website:

• ECO-TEA is an aerated compost tea (ACT), derived from night-crawler castings, high-grade compost, kelp, humic and fulvic acids with addition of bio-activator compounds.
• In addition to soluble nutrients, our earthworm castings and compost contain a diverse compliment of beneficial soil microorganisms (bacteria, fungi and micro-invertebrates) which are extracted into the tea.
• Adding these ingredients to highly oxygenated water increases biological activity and over a 24–36 hour period the organisms in the ECO-TEA reproduce to great population sizes.

What are the benefits of ECO-TEA?

• The main benefit of ECO-TEA comes from the soil microorganisms, which aid in nutrient turnover, improve soil structure, increase water retention and most importantly increases disease resistance in your soil and on your plants.
• ECO-TEA contains many soluble nutrients including Calcium, Magnesium, Iron, Zinc and Copper. All are found in sufficient quantities for optimum plant growth.

We are now using ECO-TEA as part of our turf  and plant health programs throughout the property.  We have a 50-gallon brewing kit on-site so we can brew the tea compost whenever we chose to do so.  The brewing process takes 24 hours and once brewed, with continuous aeration, the ECO-TEA lasts for 5-7 days for spray applications.  We are excited to see the results from using this environmentally-friendly product to provide healthier and stronger plants that will be able to fight off disease and other pests and reduce our pesticide use.

Here are a few photos of the brewing and application process:

ECO-TEA brewing kit

ECO-TEA ingredients: compost, nutrient mix, catalyst

adding the catalyst prior to adding the tea compost & nutrient mix

tea compost & nutrient mix is filtered before adding to spray tank

tea compost & nutrient mix added to the spray tank

ECO-TEA being applied to greens

Again, this product is not only for turf.  Head Horticulturist, Jacqui, is excited about using it on the landscaping plant material throughout the property.  We will also be applying it to our newer trees on the course to promote healthy roots and help them become less susceptible to pests.

As with most plant health products, commitment and repeated use is necessary to achieve optimal results.  We will be carefully documenting the the use of this product and will share the results sometime next year.

For more information about ECO-TEA, visit their website here: http://ecotea.ca/index.html

Course Update: October 11, 2012

Unfortunately, as I sit down to write this update, I can't help but be a bit discouraged by the weather forecast for this weekend.  By the time it's all been said and done, we could receive up to 90mm of rain through Monday.  Not ideal weather, but I guess it's to be expected on the "wet coast" this time of year!

What are we doing to prepare for the rainy season?  I'm glad that you asked.  This morning we removed the slides from our "pond levees" that control our pond heights to drop the water levels.  This is important to realize the full potential of our extensive drainage system as many of our main drainage collector lines dump into the ponds.  These drainage outlets remain below the water level of the ponds during the summer months as we they take on very little water during this time.  Yes, that does mean our ponds will not be very aesthetically pleasing over the winter months, but again, it is necessary.  Here's what you can expect to see around the pond edges during and after heavy rainfall:

drainage collector line on #3

We are also mowing the rough down to our "winter height" of 1.5 inches since wet conditions reduces our mowing frequency in the rough as it becomes soft and the potential for rutting increases.  The 1.5 inch height-of-cut isn't a drastic change from our regular "summer height" of 1.75 inches so we don't anticipate clumps of grass clippings or scalping to be an issue.  We have attempted to go lower than 1.5 inches, but the results were less than desirable as it resulted in lots of scalping and left the rough quite messy.  In addition, we have been mowing down some select naturalized areas on the course in preparation of the heavy rains.  These areas have very little drainage installed in them so this is our best chance to mow them down without making a muddy mess.  We routinely mow the naturalized areas down once a year to help reduce and control the weed population in them and to encourage new growth for the next growing season.

You will also notice our GREEN and RED traffic markers making their way back onto the course Saturday morning for carts.  Again, when we are on "FAIRWAYS ONLY" for carts we ask that carts remain on paths at tees until you reach the GREEN marker and then immediately exit the path directly to the fairway.  Please then REMAIN ON THE FAIRWAY and only on the fairway until you reach the RED exit marker and then immediately exit the fairway directly to the path.  ALL CARTS MUST REMAIN ON PATHS ON ALL PAR 3's.  Following this system will help to eliminate any unnecessary turf damage to our rough.  Thank you in advance for your cooperation.

Head Horticulturist and Quilchena's most recent employee of the month, Jacqui, has put together some fantastic plans to renovate many of the landscaped areas throughout the property.  I'm sure you've noticed that some of this work is already underway.  The old and tired plant material surrounding the pond between #9 and #18 greens had seen better days and was removed to make room for new plant material.  The small stones that surrounded that pond have also been removed to help reduce the maintenance and provide a more suitable area for the new material.  She will be planting iris', azaleas, ornamental grasses and a few flowering ornamental trees that will all complement each other.  She has also removed all the periwinkle in the landscaping surrounding the gazebo and will be replacing it with lavender, heavenly bamboo and blue oat grass.  In the coming weeks, she will also be removing the mugo pines along the west perimeter of the main parking lot as many of them are damaged and many others have grown past the point of being properly pruned.  They will be replaced with a mass planting of California lilac and "Limelight" mock orange shrubs that will provide a splash of blue blooms during the summer months and golden foliage year round.

California lilac

Many of you will be happy to hear that we've purchased two "cigarette disposal stations" for those that smoke to properly dispose of their cigarette butts.  Did you know that a single cigarette butt can take 10-15 years to completely breakdown?!?!  We will be locating one at #1 tee and the other on the balcony above the Club's main entrance as this is where we've been finding most of the cigarette butts.  If you smoke, please use them.

Last, but certainly not least, we've sent a sample of what we believe to be bryozoans for species confirmation.  The lab technicians have reviewed all of the information we've provided along with the photos we've taken and they are confident that we are indeed dealing with bryozoans.  Once the species has been confirmed, they will then recommend control options for them.  Here are a couple photos taken today of one of our pond levee screens and one of the rocks around the edge of the irrigation pond between #3 and #9:

bryozoan mass on one of our pond levee slides

 

rock from our irrigation pond covered in bryozoans

We will update you as soon as we receive any further information.