On Monday May 4th the Winona City Council Unanimously approved a ban on feeding ducks and geese in Lake Park. Learn more in this article in the Winona Daily News This ban is one of the efforts of Healthy Lake Winona, to help the waterfowl and the lake.
Healthy Lake Winona is a group of volunteers working to improve the quality of Lake Winona and Lake Park by addressing several concerns. One of these is the problems caused by people feeding geese and ducks in Lake Park.
Lake Park provides great habitat for birds, fish and other animals, so it’s natural for some geese and ducks to stop there during their migrations and for a few to live there when it isn’t icebound. However, having too many geese and ducks creates problems for people, waterfowl and other animals that use the lake.
The most obvious problem is the goose and duck feces on the Lake Park path and other fixtures in areas where people feed the geese and ducks. The feces presents a sanitation problem, and turns off a lot of park users. Who wants to walk or ride a bike through goose poop?
When the feces ends up in the lake, it adds phosphorus and other chemicals to the lake that increase weed and algae (scum) growth. The large concentration of waterfowl in the lake also creates a problem with “swimmers itch” in humans. Swimmer’s itch is caused by an allergic reaction to a parasite that grows in geese and ducks. Many people used to swim in Lake Winona until increasing weeds and algae growth, and swimmers itch became a problem. If we want to improve the water quality and enjoy swimming in the lake again, reducing the number of waterfowl in the lake is one of the ways to get there.
Feeding the geese and ducks also hurts them, because to stay healthy they need to eat a variety of the foods that make up their natural diet. When bread and popcorn become a major part of their diets, they actually can suffer from malnutrition, making them more susceptible to diseases. Malnutrition in young birds can also cause deformities, such as “angel wing,” which stunts the development of their wings. Many birds that get angel wing probably do not live long, but you may occasionally see an adult waterfowl with stunted, undeveloped wings on Lake Winona.
We realize that people who feed the waterfowl in Lake Park do so out of generosity and an appreciation of wildlife, but for the good of the people, waterfowl and other critters that use Lake Winona and Lake Park, please do not feed the waterfowl.
We would like the Winona City Council to support a ban on waterfowl feeding on the lake, but it’s also important for everybody to spread the word so we will all enjoy a healthier lake and a cleaner, safer park.
Reprint of Reggie McCloud's article of 4/24/2015 from the Winona Daily News
Healthy Lake Winona is a group of volunteers working to improve the quality of Lake Winona and Lake Park by addressing several concerns. One of these is the problems caused by people feeding geese and ducks in Lake Park.
Lake Park provides great habitat for birds, fish and other animals, so it’s natural for some geese and ducks to stop there during their migrations and for a few to live there when it isn’t icebound. However, having too many geese and ducks creates problems for people, waterfowl and other animals that use the lake.
The most obvious problem is the goose and duck feces on the Lake Park path and other fixtures in areas where people feed the geese and ducks. The feces presents a sanitation problem, and turns off a lot of park users. Who wants to walk or ride a bike through goose poop?
When the feces ends up in the lake, it adds phosphorus and other chemicals to the lake that increase weed and algae (scum) growth. The large concentration of waterfowl in the lake also creates a problem with “swimmers itch” in humans. Swimmer’s itch is caused by an allergic reaction to a parasite that grows in geese and ducks. Many people used to swim in Lake Winona until increasing weeds and algae growth, and swimmers itch became a problem. If we want to improve the water quality and enjoy swimming in the lake again, reducing the number of waterfowl in the lake is one of the ways to get there.
Feeding the geese and ducks also hurts them, because to stay healthy they need to eat a variety of the foods that make up their natural diet. When bread and popcorn become a major part of their diets, they actually can suffer from malnutrition, making them more susceptible to diseases. Malnutrition in young birds can also cause deformities, such as “angel wing,” which stunts the development of their wings. Many birds that get angel wing probably do not live long, but you may occasionally see an adult waterfowl with stunted, undeveloped wings on Lake Winona.
We realize that people who feed the waterfowl in Lake Park do so out of generosity and an appreciation of wildlife, but for the good of the people, waterfowl and other critters that use Lake Winona and Lake Park, please do not feed the waterfowl.
We would like the Winona City Council to support a ban on waterfowl feeding on the lake, but it’s also important for everybody to spread the word so we will all enjoy a healthier lake and a cleaner, safer park.
Reprint of Reggie McCloud's article of 4/24/2015 from the Winona Daily News