This is applicable to pets. Many cities automatically blame dogs for the e. coli blooms on beaches then do the dog bans. Knowing that there are other causes is important.
BTW, Chicago has many beaches along Lake Michigan and they test regularly. A few are dog beaches and amazingly the dog beaches are not closed due to bacteria levels any more often than other beaches. It appears that the dogs eliminating on the beachs isn't a major factor. I saw it theorized that having dogs on the beach actually reduced the birds and bird poop thus lowering that source.
It seems it's great exercise to chase birds...
Doug & Sandy
Jill (11yr old Golden)& Charmin (16 yr old something)
Henry NOW a camping cat
2008 Southwind
2009 Honda CRV
Preliminary reports are that the campground has no leaks in their sewer system; so at the moment, they're blaming the overload of people, warm water temps - and the more-abundant-than-ever geese. Maybe we need some dogs on OUR beaches... ;-)
More "stuff" - I had asked my fellow Lake Board members about places to (legally) dump boat holding tanks - so far, nobody has offered an answer or location. Our local Health Department "doubts that's the problem".
Now maybe it's because I read the forums on this website - but I can almost guarantee, that if someone has a cuddy cabin boat with a toilet (fairly common on our big lake) - consumes copious quantities of *beverages* - and nobody has offered them a place to dump the tank - rather than haul a boat with a full holding tank, under the cover of darkness they're gonna throw the macerator hose overboard and let 'er rip??
Or are boat owners that much more "ecologically correct" than RVers?? ;-)
Back to this subject, because some folks asked to know how it's turning out:
Michigan State University has helped with trying to find the source of e coli - they discovered that the high counts (over 2000!) were in a very localized spot; and the Park is doing pressure-testing to make sure there's not a sewer leak that's following an old pipeline from the 1930's that run in that same area. The Park Director has received conflicting information regarding whether e coli can multiply or not (Personally, I trust the link Mark offered that said under the right conditions it CAN).
But the 140 or so Canadian Geese that inhabit the park are NOT helping; nor are the seagulls. It sounds like the state DNR will issue a permit to relocate a portion of that goose population (or potentially offer an early goose-hunting season) although I find it amazing that the geese can disappear the moment hunting season opens; and they show back up the day after it closes :-(
I might point out to the management that letting a few well-trained dogs run off-leash in the park could be a great help to chase off the geese.
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