Watershed Group Receives Funds
April 20, 2018 at 7:53 p.m.
Watershed Group Receives Funds
By Staff Report-
The Watershed Foundation announced recently it had received $4,400 from the Arrow Head Country RC&D and plans to use it to revamp about 500 feet of shoreline near the park that has been overwhelmed by geese and the droppings they leave behind.
Existing landscape along the shore is primarily grass and will be replaced with a mix of glacial stone and native plants from the edge of the public swimming area to Cherry Creek. Additionally, the plan calls for taller vegetation at the shoreline that will discourage geese because it creates limited visibility against predators.
The existing conditions have attracted an overpopulation of Canada geese and led to an increased amount of droppings found throughout the park’s lawn, trails and even the new Splash Pad, presenting a public health risk, according to the Foundation.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, exposure to goose droppings can cause diarrhea, urinary tract infections or respiratory illness. Geese droppings can also contain salmonella and other germs that cause gastrointestinal issues. Large numbers of geese leave large quantities of feces. A single goose can defecate every 20 minutes up to 1.5-2 pounds of feces each day.
According to the Foundation, the EPA Region 5 model calculates that project will stop the erosion and resuspension of 31.5 tons of sediment and stop 26.8 pounds of phosphorus from polluting Winona Lake – reducing the growth of weeds and algae by 268,000 pounds per year.
The Watershed Foundation announced recently it had received $4,400 from the Arrow Head Country RC&D and plans to use it to revamp about 500 feet of shoreline near the park that has been overwhelmed by geese and the droppings they leave behind.
Existing landscape along the shore is primarily grass and will be replaced with a mix of glacial stone and native plants from the edge of the public swimming area to Cherry Creek. Additionally, the plan calls for taller vegetation at the shoreline that will discourage geese because it creates limited visibility against predators.
The existing conditions have attracted an overpopulation of Canada geese and led to an increased amount of droppings found throughout the park’s lawn, trails and even the new Splash Pad, presenting a public health risk, according to the Foundation.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, exposure to goose droppings can cause diarrhea, urinary tract infections or respiratory illness. Geese droppings can also contain salmonella and other germs that cause gastrointestinal issues. Large numbers of geese leave large quantities of feces. A single goose can defecate every 20 minutes up to 1.5-2 pounds of feces each day.
According to the Foundation, the EPA Region 5 model calculates that project will stop the erosion and resuspension of 31.5 tons of sediment and stop 26.8 pounds of phosphorus from polluting Winona Lake – reducing the growth of weeds and algae by 268,000 pounds per year.
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