The challenge arose when the licensed volume proved insufficient to meet irrigation needs during a dry year. Due to over-abstraction concerns elsewhere on the River Churnet, the Environment Agency limited any additional abstraction to winter high-flow periods — of little value for the summer and autumn irrigation required by JCB.
A borehole was explored as an alternative, but local geological conditions made it unlikely to yield water of suitable quality.
To address the issue, Dr Buss designed and modelled an innovative solution: the existing licence would be transferred to support lake top-ups from the river, and then the lakes would be used year-round for irrigation. The shortfall between irrigation demand and licensed abstraction would be met through rainfall run-off from the course and inflow from a nearby stream feeding into the lakes.
A key design constraint was the main storage lake’s dual function as a water feature on the 17th hole. To preserve its visual appeal, drawdown could not exceed 1.0 metre, as this would expose the safety shelf and detract from the signature hole’s aesthetics. Modelling confirmed that, even in a dry year, drawdown would remain within acceptable limits.