February 2017
One of the biggest hurdles Redwood Glen has had to jump over to become water-independent is convincing the State Water Board that there is enough water here to sustain the camp and all of our activities. Based on the water available from Hoffman Creek and Piney Creek, and what little is coming out of our newly drilled wells, Redwood Glen has been given official permission to build its new water system.
Our Water Team of Wyman Chin, Chad Plantenberg and Andrew Gonsalves (with help from Ronald Gonsalves), along with Lisa - an SRT engineering consultant - and Mark - a hydrologist, have worked hard these past eight months to get us to this point.
The next step is the setup stage. Lisa and her team are busy designing the schematics that will show what the infrastructure will look like (to meet state approval), while our Water Team will be working on getting the pipe laid from the creeks' points of diversion to our storage tanks. Then, once the state
approves the plans, we will build the filtration plant and hook everything up.
Our deadline is still March 30. It will be a tight fit, but we know that because God has brought us this far, we trust He will see us through to the end.
Costs for this project have been overwhelming. We have raised over $200,000 thanks to generous people like yourself who have donated to our "Help Save Redwood Glen" Water Fund. We have spent about $400,000 so far on the water project, with an estimated $350,000 left to go.
The profit we made last summer, which we usually put away for the winter slow period, has been spent on water issues, leaving very little in funds for this part of the year. We have applied for a loan with the Christian Community Credit Union and are hoping to qualify for a $400,000 loan for the water system (plus enough to pay off the current mortgage). However, if approved, that money will not come until after March 1.
In the meantime, Redwood Glen has reduced staff, cut hours, and reduced all extraneous expenses to help alleviate the financial stress. We are living "paycheck to paycheck" during these lean months. If you have already given to the water fund, we say "Thank you!" and ask that you consider giving once again. If you are able to give, the entire staff at Redwood Glen says "Thank you!" as your gift now affects each of us. Click on this link to Support Redwood Glen. And please continue to keep us in your prayers. We are not out of the woods yet, but we see daylight ahead coming through the trees.