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F o r e Y o ur I nf o r m at i o n
Another Interesting Winter By Brad WUnderlich, Edgewood tahoe resort
Brad Wunderlich Director of Grounds and Agronomy Edgewood Tahoe Resort
It was again anything but a normal winter for Northern Nevada and Northern California. December seemed promising, setting a new snowfall record of 202 inches in the Sierra Nevada mountains, breaking the previous record of 170 inches from 1970. On January 1st the Sierra snowpack was at 168% of average. Winter was off to a great start, after several years of drought. It looked to be the winter we have been waiting for, replenishing the rivers and streams, filling the reservoirs, and possibly lifting some water restrictions. Unfortunately, this was not the case. As we entered January, we saw a dry weather pattern set in and it continued for several months. In fact, it was the driest January and February in recorded history. As of March, the current snowpack is at 68% of normal, up just 7% from this time last year. As we enter the spring on a dry note, the demand for water starts earlier. There are many questions to be considered such as how much of the snowpack will make it to spring and how much will end up in the reservoirs?
One thing is certain, the drought will continue; a miracle March doesn’t look to be in the cards. So, what does this mean for the upcoming golf season? Water use is going to be highly scrutinized across most of the west this year. Golf courses are always the first to be targeted. We as turf mangers will have to continue our creative ways to help conserve and reduce water use. Are the common practices of wetting agents, turf reductions, moisture monitoring, and improving irrigation efficiency enough? Most likely not, water restrictions will likely be enforced, some courses will run out of irrigation water, and there are going to be many issues that will arise this season adding to the everyday stress of a golf course Superintendent. In addition, there is the threat of wildfires in Northern Nevada and Northern California. This area saw a very active wildfire season last year that caused substantial damage throughout our region. With the dry conditions we are expecting to see this summer, it will be another component to keep in mind as we move forward into our busy season. From monitoring the daily AQI to protect our employees, to evacuations, to property damage, it all adds up. On a positive note, the mountain courses, despite the crazy winter, are breathing a sigh of relief as the snow begins to melt. After the extensive amount of ice damage we saw across the majority of the higher elevation courses in 2021, that delayed the opening of many courses and caused poor spring golf conditions, it appears that the heavy December snow provided a much needed insulating blanket of snow. The snow was able to absorb what little winter rain we saw this year, mostly in mid-December. Avoiding the winter rains this year helped the surface of the turf stay dry and did not alter the perfect snow cover we had all winter. The temperatures remained cold throughout most of the winter. This helped control the freeze thaw cycle that can be a major contributor to the buildup of ice over the winter. Although the ice damage appears to be minimal, the voles have been busy burrowing and eating away at the turf. It seems to be the talk around the area that the voles have really caused some substantial damage to many of the mountain courses and it will be a big undertaking to repair the damage. With the prolonged snow cover we are also seeing quite a bit of snow mold, despite preventative treatments. With a little warm weather and some common cultural practices this likely won’t cause any substantial damage. It is shaping up to be another busy golf season, as the golf boom looks to continue. With many unknowns ahead of us this season from the lingering drought to rising fuel cost, it is again going to be a challenging year. I wish everyone a successful season and hope that we get some much-needed moisture.