Salida Dog Club stages cleanup at local lakes

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Sunday was an auspicous day for the Salida Dog Club, which celebrated the unleashing of their official dog club status with a cleanup at Franz and Sand Lakes. In conjunction with the Division of Wildlife (DOW), 12 intrepid members and friends of the club braved the biting spring winds and chilly temperatures to volunteer their time on refuse patrol. Although our primary intention was to clean up the byproducts of dog ownership, we were somewhat surprised by what we found.

We noticed that the amount of doggie waste was greatly overshadowed by the quantity of trash left by two legged visitors. Beer, liquor, and water bottles and cans, fishing line, small jars of fishing bait and even a pair of shoes, were unsightly remnants of what must have been a pleasant afternoon’s outing.

Those of us working at Franz Lake were delighted to see a new generation of goslings that were busy surviving the choppy water and the intrusion of our cleanup patrol. They were not only protected by their parent geese but also an impressive flotilla of assorted relatives.

Meanwhile at Sands Lake, Debbie and Lisa, two intrepid club members, were chased by a cranky, aggressive goose who wasn’t impressed with their well-meaning intentions. Though startled, the girls managed to survive the confrontation with a sprightly detour around the ornery bird. If you plan to venture into this area, beware of the temperamental goose on the loose.

The club felt good about the cleanup and is happy that both lakes are now looking quite spiffy. I wondered how difficult it would be to keep the areas tidy. Though we noticed that their were no garbage cans provided at Franz Lake (as yet), it wouldn’t be difficult for every visitor, with or without dogs, to pack up their trash (and their dogs’) and take it to their home refuse bins. Let’s all “pitch in and pack it out” and keep our lake and trail areas the pride of the community.