Pigeons said cause of high bacteria count in S. Palouse

Pigeon poop has been nailed as the most likely source of fecal coliform bacteria in the South Fork of the Palouse River in Colfax in an ongoing investigation by the department of ecology.

One DOE official has cautioned the fecal coliform bacteria may still be coming in from other sources, such as several storm drains which drain into the river.

Fecal coliform bacteria is found exclusively in human and animal feces.

“We’ve observed a lot of pigeon guano. An obvious conclusion would be the pigeons are a large part of the source,” said Elaine Snouwaert, water quality specialist with the DOE branch in Spokane.

Dozens of pigeons make their nests above Spring Flat Creek, which flows into the South Fork of the Palouse River after it enters city limits. Their nests dot the underbelly of several bridges which run over the creek.

Ecology officials found the two most polluted locations on the river were in downtown Pullman and entering the south end of Colfax. Snouwaert began working with a team of representatives from Ecology, Colfax, and Pullman last summer to narrow down the sources of the bacteria.

The resulting conclusion about the pigeon guano came after months of lab tests conducted on samples taken from the river in Colfax and Pullman.

Snouwaert said their tests cannot yet conclusively say the pigeon guano is the only culprit, because a proper ecology department water test must read the flow of the stream as well.

Ecology had problems testing the flow under the bridges because the tests were done in the dry summer months when the river water was barely flowing.

Asked why they couldn’t test the flow of the site in the when the river is running more swiftly, Snouwaert said water would incorporate possible pollution from other sources. Any samples taken could be tainted by other pollution from other sites.

As far as remedies are concerned, Snouwaert said they have no set agenda on the horizon.

Pushing the pigeons to nest elsewhere by setting up pigeon spikes or nets that block them from landing is one option, she said.

City staffers learned Jan. 26 the fecal coliform was most likely from the pigeons and storm drains.

“I’m in total agreement. Under some corners of the bridge, Spring Flat Creek channel is just completely covered in pigeon droppings,” said Matt Hammer, wastewater treatment plant operator for the city.

Hammer said the solution to the pigeon droppings is the responsibility of the city, but wasn’t yet sure how the city was going to fix that issue and the storm drains.

He was content to discover the bacteria wasn’t coming from sewer mains draining into a storm drain.