BOISE - Several measures are being taken to help prevent dangerous levels of E. coli in Quinn’s Pond and the pond at Esther Simplot Park.
Last year, the ponds were shut down for a little over a week due to the levels of bacteria in them. The city of Boise has already started testing the ponds, which show extremely low levels of the bacteria.
“We have good clean swimming water for our citizens when the weather really changes in May and in June,” said Boise Parks and Recreation Director Doug Holloway.
A stark difference from last summer, when E. coli levels shut down the popular swimming areas.
“They were off the chart, high," Holloway said. "They were extremely high."
An issue Holloway says shouldn't be a problem this year. The Parks and Recreation Department instituted several measures to help prevent the bacteria from entering the ponds, including no dogs as tests showed their feces was the main cause of the E. coli outbreak.
“We'll continue to not, unfortunately, not allow dogs in the park,” Holloway said.
Instead, the department is looking at other areas where dogs and swimmers are not swimming together.
“We're looking at other locations where we can create off-leash areas with turf and with water, including
Duck Island at Ann Morrison Park where we're proposing to put a dog park on Duck Island,” Holloway said.
The only dogs allowed in the park will be those of a contractor, who was hired by the Parks and Recreation Department to help chase off all the geese.
“We do have a contractor that is using his dogs to make the geese feel uncomfortable and we did that all summer, we've been doing it all fall, and we've started again this spring with that contract and it seems to be working. It seems to be keeping the geese away,” Holloway said.
The department also put in French drains, or outdoor trenches covered with rocks, to help filter runoff away from the ponds.
The Ada County Highway District is working at the entrance to the park to remove a clay liner of one of the retention ponds that collect runoff from nearby storm drains.
“We experienced some drainage issues with that pond last year, and the pond actually never functioned as it was designed to function,” said ACHD spokeswoman Nicole DuBois.
The hope is by removing the clay it will address the drainage issue and allow the water to be absorbed back into the ground.
DuBois says construction is expected to be completed at the retention pond on April 13.