Post by Dan on Jul 9, 2007 14:03:52 GMT -5
The Bridgewater Golf and Country Club has been a hot environmental topic in Fort Erie for a long time. They have a dam built into Frenchman's Creek which acts as a fish barrier. The dam is used to pool water for irrigation to maintain the greens on the coarse.
Rocco D'Amelio, Host Professional at the club has been known to protect his dam vehemently and when approached about modifying the dam to accommodate fish migration, he suggests those questions should be referred to his lawyer.
David Beamer, an active part of the Niagara Restoration Council has approached the Bridgewater club with a plan that would bypass the dam without draining the existing irrigation pond but would allow fish to pass. Beamer has successfully accomplished this before and would gladly do the same for the Bridgewater site. The mandate of the NRC is to "to protect, maintain and actively restore the ecosystems of Niagara". To view simular projects completed by the NRC check out there website: www.niagararestoration.org/projects_current.php?id=34_0_11_0_C
Well it seems as though water is a must have for a golf coarse and if it means destroying wetland to get it then so be it. Taken from a recent media release by the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority: "In July 2006, the Bridgewater Country Club, located at 700 Gilmore Road in the Town of Fort Erie, constructed a new irrigation pond within a portion of the Frenchman’s Creek Provincially Significant Wetland and Regulatory Floodplain. The new irrigation pond and associated excavated material was deemed to have had a significant impact on the Frenchman’s Creek Provincially Significant Wetland. The Bridgewater Country Club has been fined $1000.00 (plus Victim Fine Surcharge) and has been ordered to restore the wetland to its original condition." Full media release below.
Well it seems Rocco will have to fork out $30-50,000 to undo what he's done to the wetland and his lawyers have been contacted .
The Osprey Media release can be found here at the Fort Erie Times website:
Bridgewater CC ordered to restore wetland
Rocco D'Amelio, Host Professional at the club has been known to protect his dam vehemently and when approached about modifying the dam to accommodate fish migration, he suggests those questions should be referred to his lawyer.
David Beamer, an active part of the Niagara Restoration Council has approached the Bridgewater club with a plan that would bypass the dam without draining the existing irrigation pond but would allow fish to pass. Beamer has successfully accomplished this before and would gladly do the same for the Bridgewater site. The mandate of the NRC is to "to protect, maintain and actively restore the ecosystems of Niagara". To view simular projects completed by the NRC check out there website: www.niagararestoration.org/projects_current.php?id=34_0_11_0_C
Well it seems as though water is a must have for a golf coarse and if it means destroying wetland to get it then so be it. Taken from a recent media release by the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority: "In July 2006, the Bridgewater Country Club, located at 700 Gilmore Road in the Town of Fort Erie, constructed a new irrigation pond within a portion of the Frenchman’s Creek Provincially Significant Wetland and Regulatory Floodplain. The new irrigation pond and associated excavated material was deemed to have had a significant impact on the Frenchman’s Creek Provincially Significant Wetland. The Bridgewater Country Club has been fined $1000.00 (plus Victim Fine Surcharge) and has been ordered to restore the wetland to its original condition." Full media release below.
Well it seems Rocco will have to fork out $30-50,000 to undo what he's done to the wetland and his lawyers have been contacted .
The Osprey Media release can be found here at the Fort Erie Times website:
Bridgewater CC ordered to restore wetland