Avoid feeding the birds to keep water safe for swimming as City beaches open this weekend
Posted Jun 17, 2011 01:37:37 PM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
It’s that time of year again when the open water calls and people flock to the beach to cool off.
Ottawa’s city beaches are set to open Saturday meaning lifeguards will be on duty from noon to 7 p.m. at Mooney’s Bay, Brittania and Westboro Beaches, and Petrie Island.
Updates on water quality will start Sunday as Ottawa Public Health moniters whether water is safe for swimming.
One way to keep the beaches open is to stop feeding the birds according to Martha Robinson of Ottawa Public Health.
She said increasing numbers of birds can be a problem because of what they leave behind.
“Large amounts of feces, once they wash into the water if a rainfall happens, that can cause the bacteria levels in the water to rise,” said Robinson.
The City has seen success at Mooney’s Bay and Petrie Island using overhead wires to keep the gulls off the shoreline.
But Robinson said it’s almost impossible to keep ducks, gulls and geese out of grassy areas.
So she said people should remeber these are wild animals and avoid feeding them. She said picking up garbage can help keep birds away as well.
