Officials discuss how to get rid of geese on Lake of the Ozarks beaches

The geese are known for leaving behind a mess, which is likely what has frequently led to high e-coli levels.

May 23, 2012|by Linda Russell | KY3 Reporter

OSAGE BEACH, Mo.-- Wild geese using the Lake of the Ozarks as their restroom are raising bacteria levels around its public beaches. But the fowl running afoul of clean water laws present a challenge to those who want the geese gone.

Most agree they'd like the geese and the mess they leave behind to stay off the beaches. The question is how to keep them away.

Monica Harrell brought her sons Gavin and Cole out to enjoy Grand Glaize Beach. "This is the first time we've ever been here. I hadn't heard, so I wasn't really aware there was a problem," says Harrell.

But Harrell found the problem that's been raising e-coli levels. "That's where I stepped in it at, actually, was right down by the water," Harrell says.

The latest tests show the water at Lake of the Ozarks beaches is safe, but last summer, this beach was closed four weeks in a row in the middle of summer. "We really think it's because of the geese," says Caroline Toole of the Lake of the Ozarks Watershed Alliance.

We didn't seen any geese in our time at the beach, and the sand looked pretty clean, but near the water's edge, the geese left their tracks and their droppings. "It's just these beaches, really, that seem to be sending a misconception out that the lake is having problems, but really, the lake is very healthy," says Toole.

To clean up the beaches and the perception of the lake, officials were planning to round up and slaughter the geese when they start moulting next month. The meat would go to food pantries. "Sounds like a good idea to me," says Toole.

But the Departments of Natural Resources and Conservation, along with USDA, are now re-evaluating the plan to ensure they make the right decision.

Meanwhile, families are just happy the geese aren't preventing them from enjoying the beach.
"I don't think it's really enough that I'm too concerned about it. If it was, we probably wouldn't get in, but it's not that bad I don't think," says Harrell.

DNR says the three agencies continue to work on details of what to do with the geese, and there is no timeline on when they'll finalize a plan. They've already tried scaring the geese away with coyote decoys and loud noises. Changing the landscape to deter the geese and taking them to a wildlife refuge are possile options as well.

Check beach statuses and e-coli levels here.

Learn more about the Lake of the Ozarks Watershed Alliance here.

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