Aug. 5, 2026 Editor, The News-Gazette: Water for Lexington golf course has rankled residents. The alternative below may provide needed water without jeopardizing other water sources.
I propose ponds be excavated throughout the course to be filled with excess water diverted from Woods Creek during periods of above normal flow. It is simplistic but often overlooked because of its simplicity.
I am a civil engineer with bachelor’s and master’s degrees emphasizing water resources and transportation. I am a licensed professional engineer in the states of Virginia, New York and Maryland and also a project management professional certified by the Project Management Institute. I have 50 years of experience: 32 years with the military and U.S. Amy Corps of Engineers, 10 years with the Virginia Department of Transportation as an area land use engineer solving water resource and transportation problems from land use development and eight years as a mitigation specialist with the Federal Emergency Management Agency investigating restoration alternatives for public property to reduce future damages.
Few understand floods and less understand droughts. The golf course should provide for its own water needs. One alternative? Construct a water supply reservoir upstream. While a good, reliable water supply could be achieved, the cost would probably be prohibitive.
Water from Woods Creek is problematic, specifically during droughts. I have studied projects around America. Taking water directly from a surface water source without providing makeup water is bound to fail, causing all kinds of political, environmental and social issues.
Water detention structures could be constructed along the alignment of the fairways but in proximity to Woods Creek, so that water during peak runoff periods from rainstorms and snowmelt can be diverted to these ponds to be used during drier periods of the year. The ponds can also serve as golf water hazards, environmental management facilities and social engagement environmental learning centers.
So, golf course owners: Be good neighbors. Provide for your own water needs while promoting environmental understanding. BRAD PRICE Buena Vista
