Relocating Turtle Nests

When the Traver Creek Project was started, one of the most interesting parts was the turtle stipulation. In order to begin the creek renovation, a permit was submitted to the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ.) To satisfy the MDEQ permit of the project, turtles and other herptofauna were relocated from the two inline detention basins (AKA ponds on holes #12 and #17) on Traver Creek to the pond on #8. There are at least four large snapping turtles (Chelydra serpentina) and numerous painted turtles(Chrysemys picta) in Traver Creek and there was concern over what would happen to these turtles during and after the project was completed. To help them after the project, four sand piles were created for the turtles to use as nesting areas. 

The mother laying her eggs.

Last week, a City employee noticed a painted turtle laying eggs in the lawn area of an apartment complex. These eggs would have had very little chance of hatching and those eggs that hatched would have had a hard time getting to the relative safety of the water. The employee notified Natural Area Preservation (NAP) and the staff herpetologist came out to examine the nest. He determined that the eggs would not survive and removed them. He marked the eggs because they an air bubble grows at the top. If the eggs are inverted, the embryos inside will not develop. 

The eggs in the nest.

Nine eggs were marked and removed. This is a typical amount of eggs per nest.

The eggs were taken to the pond near #12 at Leslie. A shallow hole was excavated and the eggs placed inside. After covering the eggs with soil, a predator exclusion box was placed over the nest. This will keep raccoons and other small animals from eating them until they hatch in September.

One of the turtle nesting mounds.

The predator exclusion box, along with an explanation of what it is and a phone number for questions.

Over the weekend, a golfer noticed a snapping turtle doing the same thing in one of the bunkers at Huron Hills.

The turtles go into a trance when laying eggs and do not respond. Please stay away from them during this process.

These eggs were removed to another location, closer to the south pond of the Huron River.

Golf Course Management Article

The Traver Creek Project was featured in the January issue of Golf Course Management Magazine, the monthly magazine from The Golf Course Superintendent's Association of America (GCSAA.) The article, written by GCM's managing editor Bunny Smith, is available by visiting Gently Down the Stream. A photograph of Hole #12 is also on the table of contents page. Below is the text of the article.

Sometimes, a plan comes together, as Scott Spooner, the superintendent at Leslie Park Golf Course in Ann Arbor, Mich., can tell you.
Even when the plan involves city, state and federal stakeholders, cooperation can grease the wheels, free up the backhoe and get the work done. A comprehensive stream restoration of Traver Creek, a tributary of the Huron River that traverses much of Leslie Park GC’s back nine, broke ground in October 2012; by the time the golf season got into full swing in June 2013, the job was largely complete.
The Huron River and its tributaries are within the contributing area of Ford Lake in Ypsilanti, Mich., which had been identified as impaired under Section 303(d) of the federal Clean Water Act. The pollutants of concern were sediment and phosphorus that led to annual algae blooms in this important recreational waterway.
The irrigation pond formed by the impoundment where the stream enters city owned Leslie Park GC had become so filled with sediment since its construction in 1964 that the irrigation intake was accessing only 6 inches of water, says Spooner, a 15-year member of GCSAA. “Stretching out” the pond in the mid-’90s had only postponed the problem, not solved it.
Working with the Washtenaw County Water Resources Commission and with grants and loans from the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, Spooner oversaw construction of maintainable sediment forebays, a two-stage channel design that reconnects the floodplain and several acres of water-quality treatment wetlands. Harry Sheehan, the county water commission’s environmental manager, says that dredging removed 30,000 yards of sediment. According to Sheehan, the $1.7 million project will reduce sediment by 685 tons and phosphorus by 611 pounds a year. Such large-scale reductions are possible, he adds, because the pollution control practices at Leslie Park GC occur in the downstream portion of the 4,600-acre Traver Creek watershed.
The stream bed was stabilized using a series of grade-control structures that arrest erosive down-cutting and habitat loss. These native stone structures allow the energy of a 9-foot vertical drop within the golf course property to be dissipated without damage to the channel, Sheehan says. In total, he adds,3,300 linear feet of channel was either daylighted or restored; 6.5 acres of water-quality treatment wetland have been created; and 10.2 acres have been planted with 50 different native species, including 79 native trees and 347 shrubs. Spooner says the native species include blue flag iris, switchgrass, swamp milkweed, asters, black-eyed Susan, blue fox sedge and Joe-Pye weed.
The wetlands have been created in five different areas of the golf course and form an especially attractive view for golfers as they tee off from the 11th and 13th tees, Spooner says. Aesthetics aside, the wetlands also create habitat and movement corridors for wildlife, including a species of butterfly that is on the state endangered species list.
The material that was dredged from the irrigation pond was used to raise the No. 10 fairway and tee by about a foot.
“We now have a fairway that stays dry,” Spooner says.
For more details and photos of the Traver Creek restoration project, visit Spooner’s blog at www.travercreekproject.blogspot.com.

Project Update #11 (We have Sod)

Anderson-Fischer brought some of the bentgrass sod for the fairways early last week.

The skid-steer with the attachment for laying big roll sod. Big roll sod is 30 inches wide and 100 feet long.

The guys pulling the sod tight against the last roll on #14 fairway.

A short video demonstrating the process.

Rolls of sod waiting in the staging area.

As soon as the sod was laid out, we needed to get water on it. It is still dormant (hence the brown color) but water and warm temperatures should help to bring it out.

#11 fairway. Note how wide and flat the landing area is now.

#11 from the green. The areas that are bare soil now will be rough and will be seeded later.

The area between the north pond and Traver Road was hydroseeded with native prairie plants.

This blueish area on #12 was hydroseeded with a rough mix. The straw mulch blankets were put down after seeding with native wetland plants.

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 #5

Things have been going pretty well with the Traver Creek Project. The three retaining walls were finished on Friday, November 30th.

Almost done with the north pond (#17) wall.

The wall from the north side.

The wall and rip-rap along the Traver Creek discharge from the pond.

Working on wall 2 by #10 green.

The finished product.

Seeding with native plants along the creek and installing mulch blankets.

Looking down from #17 green toward #10 green.

Starting the final wall near #12 green.

Diversion on the south pond (#12)

The view from 12 tee.

Dredging of the south pond begins.

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.