Palm Springs area taxpayers get soaked by golf course sprinklers

Parts of the Coachella Valley in California have sunk more than a foot in nine years because too much water is being pumped from the aquifer below, and area's 200 golf courses are getting a lion's share of the blame, according to a report released by federal scientists and the valley's largest water district. The findings raise concerns that streets could buckle, sewer lines could break and trenches could appear in the earth if golf courses, residents and businesses don't conserve enough water.

The sinking is not irreversible, but water district officials said it will take projects worth $110 million to help stabilize the ground. A $70 million pipeline already under construction that will send recycled water to 50 golf courses in Indian Wells, Palm Desert and Rancho Mirage so they don't have to pump groundwater. 
In another project, water from the Colorado River, will be used to refill the lower part of the basin in another planned, $40 million project.

The math is simple. Divide $110 million dollars by 200 golf courses and you'll see that each Cochella Valley golf course costs the area taxpayers over $500 thousand dollars in ground stabilization costs. Hundreds of the courses are private, so the taxpayers are getting soaked for something that's happening in places they can't play or even visit.

This is a sad story that serves to illustrate how excessive golf course irrigation can impact the local environment and economy in ways seldom considered. Considering global population growth and that potable water is becoming increasingly scarce, it is imperative that golf developers and superintendents plan to use recycled water and utilize recently developed water saving irrigation technologies.