Above, you can see some common issues we have in our ponds on the golf course. This morning, we treated Swan Lake, where I'm often asked what I am spraying. I have a NC pesticide license and one of my certifications is in aquatics. I did this 2 years ago because treating a pond successfully is something that has to be continually addressed as opposed to hiring a subcontractor to do the work, who shows up once a month. This program wasn't working well for us and I thought it would be better handled in-house. Swan Lake (aka Club Lake) is where our irrigation water is pulled from. Therefore, we need to be very careful with what chemicals we treat with. Anything that is applied to the lake can ultimately be applied to greens and other turf via sprinkler heads. Also, this water ultimately ends up in the body of water that the Town's drinking water comes from. We are extremely cautious with this aspect of the job. We use 2 aquatic herbicides as well as an algaecide to treat our ponds. Most of the time it works very well. However, in the event of a period of drought, the stagnant water can lead to weed infestations that are difficult to treat because we are relying on irrigation water during those times. We also avoid copper based herbicides because of water quality dynamics, specifically pH.
Below, the no parking signs and stakes are a temporary addition in preparation for Monday's eclipse. I would rather be prepared than have an issue with Highlands visitors parking here. No one quite knows what the day will bring, but we will be ready to handle anything that comes our way. On a humorous note, the President of the Highlands Chamber of Commerce and Visitor Center said that several people have called inquiring if there is a local ordinance that prohibits people from sleeping in their cars. Unfortunately, there is no such thing and provided you are not parked illegally, one can sleep in their car. Interesting!
