This ran in the KW record.. August 2008.. comments invited below

Kevin Swayze
RECORD STAFF

CAMBRIDGE

Spending city tax dollars on an irrigation system to help flood-proof a private golf course baffles Coun. Linda Whetham.

The $25,919 cost is part of a $638,290 project city council approved this week, to prevent future floods of Groff Mill Creek.

“Why are we paying for this?” Whetham asked before council voted to hire Acton-based R & M Construction for the project.

The Galt Country Club job is part of an $1.75 million flood control plan council approved earlier this year for the creek that drains dozens of asphalt parking lots along Hespeler Road.

The work approved this week is the first half of the city project, said Cathy Roberston, city engineering director.

The city must do work in the golf course to prevent future damage from high waters. Work involves raising part of the course and rerouting the creek. An irrigation system installed two years ago must be removed and reinstalled when the work is done, she said.

Groff Mill Creek has flooded three times in the last three years, when heavy rains forced water over Coronation Boulevard. Twice, sidewalks along the road and parts of the golf course washed out. High water also inundated a neighbouring house.

Along with work in the golf course downstream of Coronation, the city plans to build a long, low berm in Dumfries Conservation area to hold back high water temporarily upstream of the four-lane road.

And next year, Waterloo Region plans to dig up Coronation to replace a little culvert with a much bigger one, to stop water from going over the road.

kswayze@therecord.com

link to story

http://news.therecord.com/article/397737

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