Lake Educational Signs - Rheboth Beach

Ed Murtagh - July 24, 2006
On my family's beach trip to Rehoboth Beach this summer, I noticed interesting practices and educational signage that was being used at Lake Gerar (a community lake at Rehoboth Beach) to address water quality and stormwater runoff.

Like many of the lakes and ponds in Montgomery County, Lake Gerar was having problems with unnaturally high concentrations of ducks and geese in the lake and other sources of pollutants. Heavy concentrations of bird feces surrounded Lake Gerar and the lake was polluted with nutrients from the bird feces. The city planted a native plant buffer around the lake, installed aerators, and educational signage encouraging people not to feed the water fowl. Unlike the "Do Not Feed the Animals" signs normally used, the signage explained why feeding the birds was bad for the environment and bad for wildlife. With the possibility of Avian Influenza, this should be addressed before it becomes a serious public health issue.

In Montgomery County I notice that locally we have un-naturally high water fowl populations at Kemp Mill Pond and at one of the ponds at Brookside Gardens. People feeding the water fowl and the lack of tall vegetated buffer around both this ponds create an unhealthy environment for both people and wildlife and a source of pollutants for both Sligo Creek and the Northwest Branch.

Sign posted along Lake Garer addressing the topic of ducks and geese

Native plant buffer along Lake Garer

Educational sign that explains the shoreline buffer strip

Educational sign at Lake Garere about conserving wildlife