Watershed Wednesday - The Impact of Dog Waste on Our Watershed

Now that the snow is melting, it’s time to talking about the previously hidden piles popping up all over Bozeman - dog poop.

You know the piles. They’re all over our trails, in our yards, on our sidewalks - and they’re posing a problem.

This waste is carried along with stormwater runoff into our streams and rivers, contributing to the impairment of our waterbodies. Dog poop creates an excess of nutrients that form toxic algal blooms, which dissolve oxygen and disrupt the delicate balance of aquatic ecosystem. Dog waste also increases the presence of E.coli to waterbodies, which can lead to the introduction of illnesses to those who swim in them.

In addition to water, dog waste threatens the quality of our gardens and soils. Roundworms, hookworms, and whipworms are commonly known gastrointestinal parasites that shed eggs in dog feces, and commonly end up in our soil.

Dog waste is a prominent form of non-point source pollution within our watershed, and we must address this issue as a community. Please remember to pick up your dog’s waste (both in and out of a bag!) in an effort to protect the water that our friends and families swim in, our Blue Ribbon Trout depend on, and our soils that provide us with fresh food.