Have you noticed some activity at Ponkapoag Golf Course lately?  When the projects are complete, the Blue Hills will have new wetlands and better drainage at the golf course.

Creating (or replicating…) Wetlands

After bureaucratic hurdles kept the project tied up for about ten years, the Department of Conservation and Recreation has begun replicating approximately 36,000 sq feet of open water area near hole #13 to mitigate the loss of wetlands that occurred when the Granite Rail Quarry was filled in 2000.  After much inter-agency friction, the project will be paid for by tipping fees received from Massachusetts Highway Department.   The new wetlands are expected to be completed by mid-May.

Other ‘Ponkie’ Activity You Might Have Noticed

The golf course will get help repairing damage wrought by storms in the last couple years.    The concrete barrier on Ponkapoag Brook was built in 1967 to impound water for irrigation of the golf course. It was damaged and rendered unstable by storms such as those of March 2010. Water now leaks under and around the structure. It is to be replaced to control discharge of water to the brook downstream.   The storm’s damage to drainage structures, like culverts, will also be repaired near Hole 18 and golf cart bridge will be built to address other drainage issues.

Photo credit: Linda Antonucci, Canton