Town cries foul over the abundance of fowl at Todd's Pond

Citizen photo by André Ward

Mary Mushinsky, QRWA executive director; Dolly Chagnon, president of the North Haven Garden Club and UConn Master Gardener; and Cheryl Damiani, a UConn Master Gardeners intern, helped First Selectman Janet McCarty plant blueberry bushes at Todd's Pond.

First Selectman Janet McCarty, Quinnipiac River Watershed Association Executive Director Mary Mushinsky, and members of the UConn Master Gardeners program all gathered by the water's edge of Todd's Pond last Friday, shovels in hand. They dug up a portion of soil and planted a few small blueberry bushes, hoping that their actions would be the start of a new restoration at the site.

The planting was the first step in a project undertaken by the QRWA to help clean up the pollution at the pond located at the intersection of Maple and Bailey Avenues. Volunteers for the QRWA conducted stream walks for five years, searching for waterways that had problems with pollution and water quality. In addition to Todd's Pond, they also identified troubled areas in Wallingford, Meriden, and Southington.

Todd's Pond has been plagued in recent years by an oversupply of nitrogen and bacteria, which have come from the increased duck and goose population. The feces from the birds cause weeds and algae to grow at a high rate, resulting in the water pollution.

Public feeding has been the number one culprit, since more waterfowl will congregate in an area where they know they can get food. Volunteers have counted up to 400 birds within the area at a time. Whether people are bringing dog food, or loaves of bread to feed to the birds, the QRWA has cautioned against the practice. With aid from humans, the birds can lose their abilities to forage naturally, and will not eat the food they naturally require.

"This is basically a feed lot," said Mushinsky. "We realize that people feed the birds because they love them, but it's better for them to eat natural food."

The QRWA collaborated with the town on the effort to clean up the pond. It presented a proposal to Mark Trojanowski, chairman of North Haven's Inland Wetlands and Watercourses Commission, and Alan Frederickson, land use administrator for the town. The group also sought the aid of the Master Gardeners, an educational outreach program of the University of Connecticut.

The groups expect that the new vegetation will help restore the birds' natural habitat. The new buffer zones created by the plants will help sort out the pollutants from the feces, and will also help force the birds up away from the water's edge.

In addition to the ongoing planting, the organizations also plan to post signs educating the public on the issues, and promote wildlife viewing at the site to observe the natural behavior of the birds.

"It's going to take time," said Kathryn Scott, an intern with the Master Gardeners, "but eventually it'll stop the pollution coming into Long Island Sound."

For information about assisting with the project, contact the QRWA at (203) 237-2237.