No Mas Agua !

That time has finally come, time to drain the irrigation system for the winter. To some it may seem late to be doing so, but December is usually a mild month here and the nature of our greens mix requires irrigation even in December if conditions are dry.

We begin the process in the pumphouse. We close the clay valve (which is the valve that controls the pressure of water flow from the pumps to the course), turn all 3 pumps off and release some water and built-up pressure behind the clay valve back into the wet well.

Next we travel onto the course and start opening the drain valves, which allow the water contained in our system to escape back into Curtis Lake. Pictured below is the drain valve located on #10. It is conveniently located on the edge of the creek bank, making its return to the lake simple.

We also "winterize" the pumps during this time. Winterizing our pumps consists of greasing all fittings, checking all internal and external components for wear or anything else of concern and ensuring the pumphouse's heat supply is functioning properly.

Since our winters do not usually last very long, we will most likely be bringing the system back online in early March. Doing so will allow sufficient time to be sure the system is functioning properly before our Spring Deep-Tine.