Lake Dredging Underway on the Phase 1 Golf Course at ORI
It’s the end of June, and yes—it’s hot. But the dry desert heat hasn’t slowed progress at Outdoor Resort Indio. One major summer improvement is now in motion: dredging the lakes on the Phase 1 golf course. After years of buildup, it was time to clear out the accumulated silt. The southern lake was tackled first, using a smaller, specialized dredging rig—think oversized industrial pool cleaner. The system uses a vacuum head that injects air to stir up the muck, then suctions it out. It’s a two-person job: one to manage the suction pole and another to guide the boat into position. The silt and water are pumped into massive black disposable porous bags via a long, flexible hose. Water gradually drains from the bags, leaving behind the dense sediment. According to the owner, there’s an art to filling these bags. To prevent them from potentially rolling back into the lake (like a giant creature from The Blob), they must be filled slowly—starting with the corners and center—before fully loading them. I didn’t ask how he learned that fact, but I can image. When work moved to the north lake, the team brought out the heavy-duty sled-style dredge. Equipped with a rotary tiller and high-powered suction, this rig required anchoring with ground stakes and steel cables to prevent it from being pulled too quickly across the lake by its own suction power. A Few Fun Facts:
1. The north lake had up to 4.5 feet of silt—reduced to just 6 inches by the end of day one.
2. All those lost golf balls? Yep—they’re now in the black silt bags. The smaller dredge got about half of them in the southern lake, but the larger dredge got them all on the northern lake. Anyone want to bet on how many?
3. An underwater camera was tested to film the action, but with visibility at just 6 inches, it was a no-go.
4. Once the black bags are full and drained, they’re left to bake in the summer sun. Once dry, they’re cut open and the nutrient-rich material is repurposed elsewhere in the resort. Disposable giant black bag…who would have thought. And in case you’re wondering—yes, the ducklings are doing just fine. The draining water brought plenty of worms to the surface, and they seemed perfectly content enjoying the cool water and a surprise buffet.
