By Lauren Myli GUEST COLUMNIST
Spring is once again in the air—warmer sunnier days, fresh green buds starting to pop on trees and shrubs, and the slow thaw of winter’s white blanket raising the Gallatin’s water flows higher once more. The trails and river are beginning to beckon us back, but standing in our way is…dog poop? That’s right, once the snow begins to melt, pet waste that has been left behind over the winter is exposed and can get carried along with the snowmelt into the river and its tributaries during spring runoff.
Other than being unsightly, pet excrement has other undesirable impacts that we can do something about. Our pets’ waste can contain harmful fecal coliform bacteria and parasites that cause serious health issues in people and wildlife such as giardia, salmonella, and other viruses and diseases. Leftover dog doo also contains high levels of nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus that we know can contribute to harmful algae blooms in the river. These algae blooms affect aquatic organisms by reducing available oxygen and can negatively impact recreation experiences.
Let’s break down the dirty details: the average dog produces around 340 grams (.75 pounds) of waste per day, and just 1 gram of dog waste contains 23 million fecal coliform bacteria. So, if just 10 dogs defecate, and it’s left to settle into the ground, the total waste for the day along a stream that feeds the mainstem Gallatin and its tributaries will equate to 7.5 pounds of pet waste in one day. Factor in many more four legged friends, and the magnitude of all that waste in one area, carrying all that harmful bacteria into the river, becomes a problem.
It may seem harmless to leave your dog’s poop in places that aren’t subject to being unsightly, and you might ask, why can wild animals poop in the woods, but my dog can’t?
Not all poop is equal! According to Leave No Trace, scat from wildlife provides an essential benefit to the ecosystem. Wild animals consume resources and nutrients from the ecosystem, and then promptly return those same resources and nutrients. When we start adding in nutrients from pet waste, the ecosystem balance of nutrients is thrown off. Our dogs likely aren’t eating solely native plants from the ecosystems where their waste is left. They are more likely eating nutrient-heavy pet foods designed to give them a complete and healthy diet. Unfortunately, these same fortified pet foods that keep our furry friends healthy also result in excess nutrients in our river if the waste isn’t picked up.
What can you do to help?
According to Leave No Trace, pet owners should immediately pick up the waste and immediately take the bag away from the area for proper disposal in a trash or compost bin.
You can also help us protect the Gallatin and its tributaries, keep our pets and wildlife healthy, and clean up our beloved community trails at an upcoming volunteer event.
Join the Gallatin River Task Force and our partners—the Big Sky Community Organization and Big Sky SNO—for our annual Runoff Cleanoff on May 10, 11 and 12 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. We will be meeting at the Big Sky Community Park and will provide all the supplies necessary for cleaning up Big Sky’s trails and community spaces.
Individuals and teams with the most waste picked up have a chance to win a gift basket valued at $100 from Dee-O-Gee! Whether you grab some friends, come alone, or build a team, just come on out and participate in a day out on the trails helping to keep the Gallatin River clean! Check out details and register here.
Lauren Myli is the Big Sky Watershed Corps member with the Gallatin River Task Force.
