Are communities in southeastern Wisconsin taking appropriate and sufficient action to protect bodies of water from bacterial contamination by birds such as seagulls and geese?
Background:
The lakes around southeastern Wisconsin have been around longer than any human inhabitants. So have the birds who use these lakes as a resource. However, when people and animals share the same water, complications may occur due to the fact that the birds produce waste that is toxic to humans.
The two main types of birds polluting the lakes are geese and seagulls. Seagulls do not migrate for the winter, so they use the lakes all year round. However, geese do migrate for winter to find food, so they only cause problems during warmer weather. Geese can have from 2-12 goslings, laying eggs during the springtime after all the snow clears from the water. Seagulls have around 1-4 baby gulls at one time. They also lay eggs during the spring. Seagulls are ground nesting carnivores that will take live food or scavenge opportunistically. Geese maintain a diet aquatic vegetation grass roots and young sprouts grain and corn from agricultural areas.
During the past few years elevated levels of E. coli in local lakes has been a huge problem. E. coli, or more precisely Escherichia coli, is a subgroup of fecal coliform bacteria, it enters the environment through feces. E. coli can cause severe abdominal cramping, bloody or non-bloody diarrhea, also can cause a 30% higher risk for high blood pressure and kidney damage, and in severe cases death.
According to Dan Duchniak of the City of Waukesha Water Utility, the main cause behind the contamination is people who use the beaches. When people gather at the beach they like to bring snacks and goodies. Not everyone cleans those treats up, this is what attracts the birds to the beach. After the birds eat the leftover treats they defecate on the sand, when the tide comes in that feces is washed into the water along with all of the toxins inside it.
Current Status:
The situation is currently not being paid attention to due to the cold weather many people are not using the lakes for recreational purposes. During the past summer however many lakes were closed due to E. coli poisoning from the birds feces. The only reaction from the cities in control of the lakes were beach closings. In 2010, the Pewaukee Lake Triathlon was canceled due to the bacteria. The bird poop also severely interrupted the Pewaukee ski club’s season, forcing them to cancel 40% of shows. Members worked together to raise $5,000 for special devices said to keep the birds away. These devices are called Eagle Eyes. They were installed in Pewaukee Beach that summer.
Some people have blamed the Pewaukee Lake District for the E. coli problems, saying that their dumping of sewage during a 2010 rainstorm was the main contributor of the bacteria. However, according to Charlie Shong, of the Pewwaukee Land Sanitary District, the sewage was released much before the bacteria problems began to occur, and it was released too far out in the lake for it to be related to the E. coli problems on shore.
Key Players:
The City of Pewaukee and The City of Milwaukee are the key players in our immediate area. It was not possible to locate any specific plans for protection of the lake from further contamination. These communities have tested waters and shut down entire beaches from being used.
Power-Dynamics:
The cities have the power in this situation because they have the right to control access rights to the beaches. They only use this power to close lakes when birds contaminate it. They also have the power to influence how shoreline areas used, something that can dramatically affect the impact of pest birds.
The people, however, who use these lake recreationally have the least power. They can only trust the tests cities send professionals to perform on the lakes, and obey the closings the they post.
Ethical Issues:
The main issue is safety. This issue is very important especially when families and children play, swim and boat in these lakes.
Sources:
"Escherichia Coli (E. Coli)." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 03 <http://Aug. 2012. Web. 30 Nov. 2012. www.cdc.gov/ecoli/general/index.html/>.
"Pewaukee Park and Recreation." City of Pewaukee. City of Pewaukee, n.d. Web. 30 Nov. 2012. <http://www.cityofpewaukee.us/park-and-recreation-beach.php>.
"Sea Gull Biology and Information..." Gull Biology & Information. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Nov. 2012. p>. <http://www.wildgoosechasers.com/gulls/gullinfo.ph
Shannon, Heather. "TODAY'S TMJ4." Beach Closing Hurts Business in Pewaukee -. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Nov. 2012. <http://www.todaystmj4.com/news/local/45681727.html>.
Walker, Laurel. "Pewaukee Ski Club Battles Gulls." Pewaukee Ski Club Battles Gulls. Journal Sentinel, 25 May 2012. Web. 30 Nov. 2012. <http://www.jsonline.com/news/waukesha/pewaukee-ski-club-battles-gulls-5u5hr3n-154275535.html>.
"E. Coli Closes Pewaukee Lake Beach." E. Coli Closes Pewaukee Lake Beach. Web. 30 Nov. 2012. <http://www.jsonline.com/news/waukesha/125840423.html>.
"News." LCCWF. N.p., 28 May 2012. Web. 30 Nov. 2012. <http://cleanwaterfestival.com/pages/news.html>.
Background:
The lakes around southeastern Wisconsin have been around longer than any human inhabitants. So have the birds who use these lakes as a resource. However, when people and animals share the same water, complications may occur due to the fact that the birds produce waste that is toxic to humans.
The two main types of birds polluting the lakes are geese and seagulls. Seagulls do not migrate for the winter, so they use the lakes all year round. However, geese do migrate for winter to find food, so they only cause problems during warmer weather. Geese can have from 2-12 goslings, laying eggs during the springtime after all the snow clears from the water. Seagulls have around 1-4 baby gulls at one time. They also lay eggs during the spring. Seagulls are ground nesting carnivores that will take live food or scavenge opportunistically. Geese maintain a diet aquatic vegetation grass roots and young sprouts grain and corn from agricultural areas.
During the past few years elevated levels of E. coli in local lakes has been a huge problem. E. coli, or more precisely Escherichia coli, is a subgroup of fecal coliform bacteria, it enters the environment through feces. E. coli can cause severe abdominal cramping, bloody or non-bloody diarrhea, also can cause a 30% higher risk for high blood pressure and kidney damage, and in severe cases death.
According to Dan Duchniak of the City of Waukesha Water Utility, the main cause behind the contamination is people who use the beaches. When people gather at the beach they like to bring snacks and goodies. Not everyone cleans those treats up, this is what attracts the birds to the beach. After the birds eat the leftover treats they defecate on the sand, when the tide comes in that feces is washed into the water along with all of the toxins inside it.
Current Status:
The situation is currently not being paid attention to due to the cold weather many people are not using the lakes for recreational purposes. During the past summer however many lakes were closed due to E. coli poisoning from the birds feces. The only reaction from the cities in control of the lakes were beach closings. In 2010, the Pewaukee Lake Triathlon was canceled due to the bacteria. The bird poop also severely interrupted the Pewaukee ski club’s season, forcing them to cancel 40% of shows. Members worked together to raise $5,000 for special devices said to keep the birds away. These devices are called Eagle Eyes. They were installed in Pewaukee Beach that summer.
Some people have blamed the Pewaukee Lake District for the E. coli problems, saying that their dumping of sewage during a 2010 rainstorm was the main contributor of the bacteria. However, according to Charlie Shong, of the Pewwaukee Land Sanitary District, the sewage was released much before the bacteria problems began to occur, and it was released too far out in the lake for it to be related to the E. coli problems on shore.
Key Players:
The City of Pewaukee and The City of Milwaukee are the key players in our immediate area. It was not possible to locate any specific plans for protection of the lake from further contamination. These communities have tested waters and shut down entire beaches from being used.
Power-Dynamics:
The cities have the power in this situation because they have the right to control access rights to the beaches. They only use this power to close lakes when birds contaminate it. They also have the power to influence how shoreline areas used, something that can dramatically affect the impact of pest birds.
The people, however, who use these lake recreationally have the least power. They can only trust the tests cities send professionals to perform on the lakes, and obey the closings the they post.
Ethical Issues:
The main issue is safety. This issue is very important especially when families and children play, swim and boat in these lakes.
Sources:
"Escherichia Coli (E. Coli)." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 03 <http://Aug. 2012. Web. 30 Nov. 2012. www.cdc.gov/ecoli/general/index.html/>.
"Pewaukee Park and Recreation." City of Pewaukee. City of Pewaukee, n.d. Web. 30 Nov. 2012. <http://www.cityofpewaukee.us/park-and-recreation-beach.php>.
"Sea Gull Biology and Information..." Gull Biology & Information. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Nov. 2012. p>. <http://www.wildgoosechasers.com/gulls/gullinfo.ph
Shannon, Heather. "TODAY'S TMJ4." Beach Closing Hurts Business in Pewaukee -. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Nov. 2012. <http://www.todaystmj4.com/news/local/45681727.html>.
Walker, Laurel. "Pewaukee Ski Club Battles Gulls." Pewaukee Ski Club Battles Gulls. Journal Sentinel, 25 May 2012. Web. 30 Nov. 2012. <http://www.jsonline.com/news/waukesha/pewaukee-ski-club-battles-gulls-5u5hr3n-154275535.html>.
"E. Coli Closes Pewaukee Lake Beach." E. Coli Closes Pewaukee Lake Beach. Web. 30 Nov. 2012. <http://www.jsonline.com/news/waukesha/125840423.html>.
"News." LCCWF. N.p., 28 May 2012. Web. 30 Nov. 2012. <http://cleanwaterfestival.com/pages/news.html>.