P.O. Box 235
Colony Lane & Colony Trail at Braddock Mill Road
Marlton, New Jersey 08053
Canadian Geese
These bacteria originate from the wastes of animals or humans. Thus, high numbers of E. coli in a pond could come from septic systems, runoff from barnyards, or from wildlife (especially large numbers of waterfowl).
Ponds and lakes used for swimming and other recreation should have less than 126 colonies of E. coli bacteria per 100 mL of water. High levels of E. coli bacteria can be reduced by limiting animal access to the pond, maintaining nearby septic systems, and redirecting runoff from barnyards and other areas where animal wastes accumulate.
It's About E. coli
For a period at the end of the nineteenth century they became scarce. (Overhunting, egg collecting, and development of wetlands were among the causes of the decline.)
Canada geese were thought to be near extinction, so the government made them a protected species. The Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918, made it illegal to harm or kill any Canada Geese.
In the early 1900ss, Canada geese were purposely placed here by state and federal agencies and hunting clubs.
In the 1930s, efforts to restore their numbers led to government-sponsored releases of resident “giant” Canada Geese for hunting. Not long after, as lawns started to proliferate, many of these resident geese flocks began to thrive and expand their range.
Over the years, other environmental factors such as food availability and changes in surroundings has made life easy and comfortable for Canada Geese. Their population population has grown virtually unchecked and their numbers have exploded.
Statewide estimates back to the early 1990s reveal that the goose population in New Jersey grew from about 40,000 at that time to 100,000 by the early 2000s, largely due to restrictions on hunting season, which occurs from October-February.
Today, based on a loosening of those restrictions, the population of geese has declined to more like 75,000 and it is believed that their ideal population goal should be 40,000-45,000, similar to the early 1990s, because that was when complaints about Canada geese were at their lowest levels. That's the optimal population size that environmentalists believe can be managed to over the coming years.
