Is it possible that the County can implement remediation measures further north and toward the foothills where runoff water can be diverted before it becomes a threat to the golf course ?
Patrick,
When considering possible remediation or prevention measures, I think we need to keep things in persective, just a little. RC is located near the mouth of Happy Camp Canyon, where it empties into Simi Valley. Happy Camp Canyon runs north and then East, between Oak Ridge and Big Mountain. (For those that have been on the 126 between Ventura and Santa Clarita, Oak Ridge is the long ridge/mountain south of that valley.) I am not sure how far Happy Camp goes back, but looking at the maps, it must be around 15 miles, back close to where the Santa Susana Mountains reach 2600 ft, compared to Rustic, which is probably goes down to around 650 ft. Throw in all the side canyons and drainages, and you probably have this one canyon draining between 35-50 square miles of mountains. But at the golf course, the canyon is probably only 600 ft wide. So, when it rains five inches (as it did the night of the flood) we have the potential for quite alot of water passing through a pretty narrow opening.
To make matters worse, the area I am talking about was pretty much burnt black by the fires. So much of the sandy soil washed down the canyon, along with wood and debris from the fire. I dont think the water was the problem, so much as the debris that came with it. Currently, at various places around the golf course there are huge piles of silty sand which have been scraped off the course. It actually looks like a snow plow has piled up excess brown snow. Quite incredible, really.
So what can be done? I doubt anthing that makes sense. There is just nowhere to divert the water. The bottom of the canyon is a flood basin and flood basins sometimes flood.
But this is where we need to keep things in perspective.
First, it is doubtful that RC will face a similar situation for a decades, if ever. Once the growth gets reestablished, it will hold the topsoil and even much of the water. These fires seem to occur when the vegitation is overgrown, and that will take quite a few years. Flood prevention measures would probably not be economical considering the relatively low cost of the damage and the low probability of future problems.
Second, while the pictures look bad (especially 7), the course came through with relatively minor damage, considering. No green was hurt, one fairway was covered with sand, and half of a very small tee box washed away. The course lost less than a week of revenue, I think. The other sand, such as the sand on the 10th, is more superficial than anything else. The fairways are wide enough at Rustic that one can try to avoid a little sand.
That being said. I dont understand why the developer insisted on putting such narrow bridges across the wash. Narrow holes plug up, sand builds up, then you have a problem. I dont think it is a coincidence that some of the flooding occurred right above these silly little bridges.
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A few comments on the photos: The river bed next to the black tee box on 14 was not there before the storm. The main channel shifted dramatically throughout the canyon and here we see evidence of such shifts.
The 10th is playing fine, except for a small swath of sand across the fairway and on the right side (where there was already sand.)
I dont think 7 is going to that complicated to fix. The fairway undulations are still there, just a foot or so higher than they were before.
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One positive, the sand on the sides of some of the fairways makes a really cool transition into the natives. And is definitely a place to avoid. So all you guys who think you dont have to think have a little more to think about at RC.