ORO VALLEY, Ariz. (KGUN) — Despite recent efforts by the town of Oro Valley to address ongoing dust concerns at the El Conquistador golf course, residents fell it still doesn't address the main concern of health.
Mike Zinkin, a resident living near the 5th hole of the course, attended the Oro Valley Town Council meeting on September 18, alongside several concerned neighbors. They hoped their concerns about excessive dust, particularly during storms and windy days, would be addressed, despite the agenda item being removed during the meeting with no period for public input.
“The town manager decided what they were going to do without citizen or council input, but we were still pretty happy. We were finally enough of a ‘greasy wheel’ to get some attention,” Zinkin said.
Zinkin and others have raised health concerns for months due to the dust blowing from the course.
As part of Oro Valley’s ongoing efforts to conserve water and reduce potable water usage, the town previously cut back on irrigated turf near several tee boxes and fairways at the El Conquistador Golf Course.
Upon returning from a short vacation, Zinkin was disappointed by what appeared to be the final outcome of the town’s efforts.
"Look at that, that's not gravel," he remarked while picking up a handful of gravel.
In response, the town clarified "While we’ve addressed the issue, the project is not yet fully completed." They added that rain and other water sources will help the newly laid gravel settle.
One of the Town’s focus areas has been to develop and evaluate strategies to reduce the use of water in Oro Valley, which is why we reduced 13.5 acres of turf on the El Conquistador Golf Course.
We heard concerns from a few residents regarding certain areas that underwent turf reduction, specifically regarding blowing dust. In response, we acted quickly by placing the quarter-inch decomposed granite (DG) at hole #5, which was an investment of more than $50,000.
This action addressed the residents’ concerns. The Town’s investment in DG mitigated the dust issue.
While we’ve addressed the issue, the project is not yet fully completed. The Town will continue to monitor the quality of the DG installation, and install post and cable barriers this week to protect the area from golf cart traffic and preserve the newly installed DG.
Water from rain and other sources will also further settle the materials and help ensure long-term mitigation of blowing dust.
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Kenny Darr is a reporter for KGUN 9. He joined the team in January 2023. Before arriving in Arizona he was an Anchor and Reporter at KADN in Lafayette, LA. Share your story ideas with Kenny by emailing kenny.darr@kgun9.com or by connecting on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.
