Fowl Mess: City Plans to Clean Up Silver Lake
By Mike Dougherty, Post-Bulletin, Rochester, Minn.
Jan. 6–Can Rochester bid adieu to goose poo?
No. But a $550,000 project slated to begin in early summer could eventually curtail the gathering geese on the parkland and trails around Silver Lake, something anyone with a mess on their shoe might appreciate.
Rochester will build a buffer zone around the shoreline of the city’s man-made lake using native grasses and plants. The plant zone will go up to the rip rap material that holds the shoreline, average about 30 feet in width and will vary in height.
“But it will look significantly different once it’s planted,” said Barb Huberty, Rochester Public Works Department environmental and regulatory affairs coordinator, who has coordinated the project of which half will be paid for through a state grant and the other half through storm water utility fees.
Gone will be the attempts to grow grass at the shoreline.
The theory behind the planting native plants and flowers with taller grasses is they will first act as filtering or buffering areas to keep pollutants — in this case lots of goose poop — from draining back into the water. The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency has noted that the waters of southeastern Minnesota have had high levels of fecal coliform, Huberty said.
The tall grasses are expected to be a deterrent to the geese, it’s believed that geese will be less likely to walk up from the water and stay near the shoreline. Instead they will go to other open areas, but away from the trails and park area.
Among the first steps in the cleanup plan was to not continue the park board’s contract with two men who supply the goose-feeding vending boxes. Dennis Stotz, assistant superintendent in the Rochester Park and Recreation Department, said the boxes will be removed by April 1.
People feeding the geese on Friday at Silver Lake said they could see the need for changes, but also mentioned family traditions of coming to the lake to feed the feathery flock.
Amber Mazzitelli, a sophomore at the University of Minnesota, who’s home for Christmas break, was feeding the geese with while her mother, Nancy of Eyota, watched the fine feathered friends scramble after Amber.
“One of the things I wanted to do while I was home was come and feed the geese,” Amber said.
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Copyright (c) 2007, Post-Bulletin, Rochester, Minn.
Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Business News.
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