“So, what can I do about the geese on my shoreline property?” This is one of the most common questions I am asked during the summer when I travel around the state to talk with lake associations about how they can better protect, and improve, the health of their [...]]]> By Andrea LaMoreaux, NH LAKES Education Director

“So, what can I do about the geese on my shoreline property?” This is one of the most common questions I am asked during the summer when I travel around the state to talk with lake associations about how they can better protect, and improve, the health of their lake.

It seems that Canada Geese are becoming a more and more common sight around New Hampshire’s approximately 1,000 lakes and ponds. While these beautiful birds typically migrate in the fall, isolated populations may reside along New Hampshire’s shorelines year round. In the spring, usually in March and April, these birds nest near the shorelines of lakes, ponds, rivers and streams, and lay approximately three to six eggs per nest. It has been reported that a single goose can live more than 24 years and can weigh approximately 12 pounds!

Canada Geese can pollute the lake and can make you sick!

Believe it or not, biologists have discovered that one goose can consume up to four pounds of grass per day, creating about three pounds of fecal matter daily! This fecal matter makes grassy areas and beaches along the shoreline unappealing and, even worse, pollutes nearby waterbodies by accelerating the growth of plants and algae blooms. In addition, this fecal matter can make those who recreate in the polluted waterbodies sick by introducing the swimmer’s itch organismand E. coli bacteria into the water and by possibly causing toxic cyanobacteria blooms in the waterbody to become more frequent and severe. For these reasons, you should avoid contact and ingestion of water in areas frequented by geese.

If you have a goose problem, here is what you should do.

You need to make your property less attractive to geese. Luckily, the most simple and most effective thing you can do is also the healthiest thing you can do for your lake-plant a vegetated buffer consisting of native shrubs and bushes on your property along the entire shoreline. Geese love a mowed, lush lawn that leads right up to the edge of the lake. They prefer to hang out on the lawn and eat grass while having easy access to the water in case a predator (such as yourself or your dog!) comes down the hill. This vegetation will not only obstruct the bird’s view of the lake from your property, its roots will reduce the amount of soil erosion occurring along the shoreline and will reduce the amount of storm-water runoff from your property which pollutes the lake. If you need help constructing a vegetated buffer contact NH LAKES-our Lake Conservation Corps’ Program may be able to help!

If you must have grass, keep it at least six inches high. If you find any nesting material on your property, as long as it isn’t being actively used, remove it. (You’ll need a permit from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to tamper with an active nest with eggs or young in it. For more information, visit www.fws.gov and/or call the Concord, NH, office of the U.S. Department of Agriculture at (603-223-6832.)

And, of course, if you are feeding the geese, you must stop!

Other things you can do.

In addition to creating vegetative buffers, implement two or more of the strategies listed below to make your property unattractive to geese:

• Create barriers between the grass and the water. The barrier can be as simple as a piece of string that they can not step over or walk under. Snow fences also work well.
• Spray your lawn with methyl anthranilate (a registered chemical that is a derivative of grape-juice and acts as a bird repellent); the chemical will give the grass an unpleasant taste making the grass undesirable to eat.
• Install an overhead grid wire to prevent the geese from landing and nesting in that area.
• While many agencies recommend using noise harassment (propane canons, starter pistols, air horns, recorded predator noises), unless your neighbors live very far away, NH LAKES does not recommend this management technique. Instead, consider using a solar powered flashing light which simulates the eye reflection of predators and disrupts the geese’s ability to sleep. Geese may no longer consider the area “safe” and may move to another suitable area.
• Dogs may also deter geese from landing or roosting on your property. A barking dog guarding the property may be effective.

For more information.

Visit the following websites: www.awaywithgeese.com, www.canadagoosemanagement.com and www.canadageese.org/nlcontrol.html.

Rain falling on land does more than just wet the ground. [...]]]> The pitter-patter of rain drops on the roof has long been a sound that can soothe our minds. Picture a cool summer morning, maybe on the porch, a warm cup of coffee, a good book, the view of the lake and that lovely sound.

Rain falling on land does more than just wet the ground. Rain drops vary can vary in size from extremely tiny (0.5mm) mist-like droplets to the biggest drops 5mm in diameter. And as you might expect the larger raindrops tend to fall faster. Rain can fall from anywhere between nearly still and about 20 mph, with most drops coming down somewhere in the middle of that range. While this may not seem very fast for something falling from the sky speeds like this at the small scale of a raindrop can have quite an impact on the ground they strike. This physical impact of rain on ground can have a dramatic ecological impact on the water quality, therefore affecting lakeside homeowners.

When a rain drop strikes the ground, small particles can be dislodged. Once dislodged it is easy for these particles to be transported downhill by moving water. This is essentially erosion and the first step in the process of run-off. Bigger and faster drops can stir up more particles. If may seem that there is nothing you can do to control the size of rain drops but that isn’t true. A land owner can reduce the size and speed of rain drops falling on his lake front property by allowing trees, shrubs and other land cover to break up and slow down the drops as they fall. If you have ever walked in the woods on a rainy day you have experienced this exact process as you walk through more of a mist when under the cover of a forest canopy.

The other factor that determines the amount of particles stirred up by falling rain is the ground itself. When rain hits dirt, the drops directly strike and loosed sediments. This is the worst possible scenario. Extensive erosion and run-off can occur very quickly where there is exposed soil. Dirt driveways and lake roads can contribute significantly to lakeside run-off. On the other hand, when rain falls on typical forest litter or duff- the accumulated leaves and sticks normally found on the forest floor, drops are again broken and slowed before they strike soil. This gives time for the water to soak into the ground, preventing run-off. Lawns, even with the most lush grass, offer little protection. While the grass blades may slow some rain down, there is no duff layer to allow water to soak in. Rain can begin to run-off grassy lawns very quickly. And when it does, the rain will often carry whatever fertilizers may have been applied.

Here are some things lakefront property owners can do to reduce run-off from their properties.

• Maintain as much of the natural forest cover as possible.
• Minimize raking to maintain the natural forest floor.
• If you must have a lawn, skip fertilizing all together or use a phosphate free organic fertilizer approved from lake front application.
• Eliminate direct paths to the water. Not only will this slow run-off but a curving path can add beauty to your landscape!
• Maintain a minimum six foot buffer zone at the water’s edge.
• Other lakefront home friendly landscaping practices

As lakeside home owners our property values and the life value of our lakeside homes is directly linked to our water quality. Protecting our shared resource benefits us all. For more information on how you can green your landscape and help to protect water quality give Joy a call (603-356-7200) or send an email. As a Conway Lake Homeowner and member of New Hampshire Lakes Association Joy can point you towards the most up to date information on water quality in the Mount Washington Valley.