KENOVA, W.Va. (WSAZ) – Kenova Mayor Tim Bias and the City of Kenova announced the closure of the Dreamland Pool recreation area Thursday.
The Kenova Police Department says a sudden influx of Canada Geese over the past two weeks has led to the closure, as they have not only damaged the grassy area but also created a risk to the public “with massive amounts of droppings.”
They say goose droppings carry bacteria, which can contaminate recreational water and grounds.
In a statement, Mayor Bias said, “These past two weeks have been a challenge. Employees have repeatedly cleaned and pressure washed the park to remove the droppings from walkways, picnic areas, and equipment so we can open the pool. It quickly became a never-ending battle.
“Early efforts to chase them from the park resulted in a more aggressive behavior from the geese, creating concern for city workers and pool employees as they tried to clean the park. Decoys were placed, but the geese were not affected. There are chemicals that can be spread to deter the geese, but they are expensive and take time to actually be effective.
“Then the city detected elevated levels of nitrogen and phosphorus in the pool itself. Testing of the pool water has been constant, and while corrective measures have shown improvement, the geese return to pollute the water again. This creates the need for additional testing and wait times to get permission to reopen the pool.”
Police say the geese are protected under federal law, meaning physical harm or nest disruption requires specific permits or agency guidance.
City officials have been told that permission to reopen is “still many days out” and only if the geese do not pollute the area again, according to police.
The City of Kenova says it made the decision to close the park immediately and drain the pool as quickly as possible, and that more aggressive measures to remove the geese will begin immediately.
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