Fairhope, Alabama
ENVIRONMENTAL CHAIRMAN'S CONCLUSION
During its June meeting, Gary Gover the city's environmental committee chairman said his own testing indicated the Canada geese are most-responsible for periodic high e-coli bacteria readings in the bay along municipal beach.
He said readings at the outfall of the duck pond were especially high, "hundreds of times" more than periodic testing by ADEM/ADPH in the vicinity in many cases.
Gover: "... even during dry weather my test results are showing pollution rates higher than recommended. A likely cause are the resident geese ... each deposits 4# of fecal matter in the park every day."
"Children may be found routinely playing in the pond effluent, in geese feces, and polluted water along the beach."
Blinking lights installed by the city only move the geese from one area of the park to another, and "no wildlife feeding" laws are not being enforced, he said.
SOLUTIONS COMING?
One committee member suggested using herding dogs to frighten the geese away as is done in other parts of the country; more blinking lights have already been ordered to install all over the park.
Mayor Wilson told the Times she agrees something more needs to be done; but wants it done in a "humane manner."
(Goose population usually peaks in mid-summer then begins to decline.)
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| Duck pond outfall |
ENVIRONMENTAL CHAIRMAN'S CONCLUSION
During its June meeting, Gary Gover the city's environmental committee chairman said his own testing indicated the Canada geese are most-responsible for periodic high e-coli bacteria readings in the bay along municipal beach.
He said readings at the outfall of the duck pond were especially high, "hundreds of times" more than periodic testing by ADEM/ADPH in the vicinity in many cases.
Gover: "... even during dry weather my test results are showing pollution rates higher than recommended. A likely cause are the resident geese ... each deposits 4# of fecal matter in the park every day."
"Children may be found routinely playing in the pond effluent, in geese feces, and polluted water along the beach."
Blinking lights installed by the city only move the geese from one area of the park to another, and "no wildlife feeding" laws are not being enforced, he said.
SOLUTIONS COMING?
One committee member suggested using herding dogs to frighten the geese away as is done in other parts of the country; more blinking lights have already been ordered to install all over the park.
Mayor Wilson told the Times she agrees something more needs to be done; but wants it done in a "humane manner."
(Goose population usually peaks in mid-summer then begins to decline.)
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| Gover standing |
Comments
Please share your "simple" solution to this "simple" problem.
Instead of cursing the darkness, why not light a candle?
Also, the fees at this beach need to be increased and we should not allow out-of-towners to park there on the 4th of July. Because of the trees, the fireworks cannot be seen from town and many other areas, but all parking spots were taken by others by about 2:00 on the 4th this year. It was clear that that most of these visitors did not live here because so many of them went into the water. Everyone that lives here knows that this is where so much of the Daphne and Fairhope sewer goes to rest. I am so tired of hearing the filth blamed on wildlife; more likely it is human filth.
It seems as if the Canada geese have run off the rest of the ducks and the geese. i do know that once Canada geese come, they multiply and it is hard to get control over them. Look at the front entrance of Belaton on AL 181. They have started a small colony and have gotten larger and larger.