Update #7

After taking some time off at the end of the year, progress has been steady on the Traver Creek project. Unfortunately, snow has fallen and pictures do not come out well in snowy conditions.

Here are some.

On the bridge between #12 green and #13 tee, looking toward #11 green.

Same bridge, looking toward the practice green.

#13 tee.

New crossing over the Arrowood drain, looking toward #11 fairway.

Same crossing, looking back toward #11 tee.

Wetland between #11 green and #12 green after seeding. Taken from the bridge near #12 tee.

Same view,  looking toward #13 tee.

This video was taken from #13 tee. It shows three excavators working on the creek and wetland.

Last Update for 2012

The North Pond has basically been finished. The slopes have been seeded and covered with a straw mulch. The wall is done and the pond is up to the normal level.

The South Pond underpass is done. Here you can see the forms around the headwall.

The pumper truck fills in the concrete forms.

The guy on the right in this photo has a chest mounted remote control that moves the pump chute.

Video of the pumper truck in action.

After the forms were removed.

The Arrowood Drain has been started. This will run between #11 tee and #13 tee and returns this to a more historically accurate path for the water.

This is the view from in front of #13 tee.

Construction Update Week #4

Progress is being made on the creek. The north pond is almost complete, once the retaining wall is set, the diversion of Traver Creek will be removed and it will begin to fill back up with water.

Starting the second course along #17 green.

The blocks are stored in the maintenance barn parking lot until needed.

The view from #17 forward tee.

The creek running beside #17 green is ready for seed. This picture was taken from the bridge to #18.

The cross vein in front of #10 green has been installed.

This is the plunge pool just after the bridge. You can see the bypass pump here.

The creek banks have been sloped and are waiting for topsoil and seeding. You can see the 4 inch hose running from the pump which bypasses the area that is being worked on in the foreground.

Excavators work in tandem on both sides of the creek.

The carpenters have started construction on the crossings over the wetlands. This is coming off of #13 tee. The Arrowood drain that currently crosses 13 fairway 100 yards from the green will be re-routed under here. According to aerial photos from the 1950's, this is closer to where it ran historically.

Week 3 Update

Before I get into the pictures, let me say that some of these may be alarming. In order to complete the work on the creek, some trees and brush needed to come out. Most of these trees were fast growing Cottonwood and Willow. The brush was predominately invasive honeysuckle and buckthorn. When seeing the project halfway through completion, you see the absence of trees but not the almost 130 new trees that will be planted. We made it a priority to only remove the trees and brush that is necessary for the project. The end result of this project will be a net environmental gain in reduced sediment and phosphorous that goes from Traver Creek into the Huron River.

That being said, here are some pictures from this week.

The pond is almost fully dredged.

Cobblestone and rock walls will be installed this week along this bank.

The cobblestone being delivered.

That is a big excavator. 3.5 scoops fills up the nearly 20 yard off-road dump truck.

Looking at the bridge between #17 Green and #18 Tee. You can now see the pumphouse and barn from here.

In this picture form 2 years ago, you can see the cleared area to the left.

The view from what used to be #10 tee. The topsoil has been stripped and stockpiled. Soil from the project will be used to raise this area out of the floodplain. It will then be sodded with bentgrass in the fairway and tees. The rough will be seeded.

#10 Tee earlier this year.

The area near old #14 tee where the pond spoils are being mounded.

In this shot from 2009, you can see the valley that was filled in. It will not effect play, since this area was well to the left of where the current tee sits.

#13 Tee.

A picture of the tee from of few years ago. Notice the dense underbrush along the creek. This area will be replaced with high quality wetland habitat.

Here is the practice green from #13 Tee.

Another shot of the practice green. Notice #13 tee and #11 fairway in the background.

This picture is from almost the same angle. You can make out the large Oak trees to the left of #13 tee in the background.

Here is the new diversion ditch for Traver Creek. The previous solution of two 8 inch and one 6 inch pipe did not work as well as planned. The contractor decided to line this open air ditch with plastic instead.