Goosinator tackling a flock of a problem at Henderson Lake

By Lethbridge Herald on November 29, 2024.

The Goosinator remote control amphibious hazing device chases waterfowl from the open water at Henderson Lake on Friday. Herald photo by Al Beeber

Al Beeber – LETHBRIDGE HERALD – abeeber@lethbridgeherald.com

Forget the Terminator, Lethbridge now has the Goosinator. And thanks to this remote controlled device, the City of Lethbridge is hoping geese and ducks won’t be back to Henderson Lake.

The amphibious, remote-controlled Goosinator is a new hazing device being employed to get the increasing population of waterfowl off Henderson Lake so it can freeze up.

Lethbridge has for several years been experiencing a rise in waterfowl populations which are causing problems in city parks with their defecation and at Henderson, also with aggressive behaviours toward human beings and dogs.

The Goosinator, a bright orange device, is operated from the shoreline and skims across the surface of the lake then into the water, prompting birds to take flight. Since the City started operating it, the open space at Henderson, which was described by Parks Natural Resources co-ordinator Jackie Cardinal as a “hot tub,” has visibly shrunk. And the intent is to keep shrinking that space until the lake is frozen over.

With its large water surface and relative safety from predators, Henderson is a more preferred spot for waterfowl than the Oldman River and in recent years, the lake in winter has become filled with birds.

The device can also be used for sports fields and other places where waterfowl populations are an issue.

“Here at Henderson Lake, we’ve had challenges with resident bird populations. Every year there are more and more ducks and geese spending the winters here in Lethbridge and that just compounds the problem later on. The later they stay, the longer the ice stays open,” said Cardinal.

And with open water, the birds will continue to come back, she added.

The Goosinator will help clear the birds away and get the lake to freeze over.

Waterfowl at the lake cause a number of problems including they get comfortable human beings and will chase people out of the park with the City getting a number of complaints.

The birds nest along the rocks along the lake shoreline and treat it as their territory, getting aggressive with people and dogs. And they create a mess with droppings left on the dock and grass.

“They cause problems for themselves as well” when they live in close proximity, said Cardinal likening the Henderson hangout to a school where one sick individual will lead to others with illnesses.

“It’s so easy for them to transmit diseases and parasites,” Cardinal added.

Use of the Goosinator is weather-dependent, needing cold weather for the device to be effective given the mission of getting Henderson to freeze over.

Geese are more easily scared off than ducks which will fly back to the lake sooner, Cardinal said.

The health of the lake ecosystem is another concern, said Cardinal. During irrigation season, there is more movement of water but in winter with more defecation and birds dying from disease that increases nutrients in the lake which Cardinal says probably contributes to water quality issues.

Geese and ducks are opportunistic so if they have a place to hang out they will which means the program will likely be ongoing, said Cardinal.

Another reason for waterfowl to stay here is because of humans feeding them which is not doing birds any favours, said Cardinal.

“Overall it’s detriment to their health.”