Clean Lake Tip: Scoop the Poop

March’s snowmelt reveals some unpleasant remnants from the winter season. Pet owners throughout the winter may be tempted to leave their dog’s waste under the snow and ice—after all, what could be the harm of just a few droppings? 

As it turns out, these little heaps are not as innocent as the pampered pets that leave them. Canine feces are full of bacteria - the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that just 100 dogs over two or three days could contribute enough poop to temporarily close a bay and adjacent watershed areas within 20 miles to swimming or shell fishing. This doesn’t just refer to dog dung on the beach – it’s the residue that washes down the storm drain from streets, sidewalks, lawns and other land surface. Not to mention that dog poop is a terrible fertilizer. In fact, it has the opposite effect – it burns the grass and takes over a year to break down! While you may not see these effects in the winter, the turds don’t disappear in the snow. As springtime parkgoers know, winter dog poop is yucky, but it’s not just that—it becomes a significant pollutant when things begin to thaw. 

Two primary pollutant groups come from dog stools: nutrients and pathogens. Nutrients that wash into local water bodies can lead to toxic cyanobacteria blooms, an over-abundance of algae and weeds, and beach closures. Pathogens include disease-carrying bacteria and parasites. Those found in dog poop include salmonella, roundworm, tapeworm, and giardia, as well as E.coli and other coliform bacteria—dog feces has about twice as many coliform bacteria as human waste. All of these pathogens pose a risk to human health and can linger in the soil for years.  

Dog doo differs from wild animal scat, which fertilizes the earth and has been found to spread native seeds. Wild animals are consuming food within the ecosystem where they poop, so there is no net loss or gain of nutrients. Dogs, on the other hand, are fed a high nutrient diet from a bag. Excess nitrogen and phosphorus can throw the ecosystem out of balance, and that instability provides a welcoming environment for invasive species on land and can trigger algae growth and cyanobacteria blooms in the water. 

The solution is simple: pick up after your dog, both at home and on walks, regardless of the season, to protect your local water bodies. The EPA recommends picking up poop in individual bags and depositing them in the trash, to reduce the risk of disease. Don’t flush pet waste down the toilet as too often bags get flushed along with the feces. Even biodegradable bags will damage the wastewater treatment facility’s equipment, and the parasite associated with toxoplasmosis (which is found in cat poop) can survive the water treatment process.  

Dog waste deposited in the trash will safely break down in the landfill, and its methane gas can be burned for energy recapture. Every responsible dog owner should carry several bags with them at all times. 

As the snow melts and the furtive feces are revealed, we encourage you to observe April Stools’ Day. Take time with some friends to hit your favorite park or trail with doggie bags and trowels and scoop the poop. Contact LCC’s Education and Outreach Associate Eileen Fitzgerald (eileenf@ lakechamplaincommittee.org) if you want resources and materials for planning your own community April Stools’ Day event.