NORDLAND — The owner of a golf course on Marrowstone Island is trying to change public opinion about the links to win state approval of a water permit.
Wally Barclay, owner of Morningtide Golf on Flagler Road, said he has been able to prove the science of water use on the golf course, but knows politics plays a role in the process.
So he held a meeting Wednesday night to explain the water rights application and answer questions from the public.
“I wanted to be able to be specific about our application because the facts get way skewed,” Barclay said.
One of the misconceptions, according to Barclay, is that the golf course will need 25 million gallons of water annually for irrigation.
Barclay’s request to the state Department of Ecology is to use 6.6 million gallons of water annually. Rainwater would be stored in ponds at the course and then used for irrigation as needed.