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Lake
Merced Update – September 2004
Unfortunately, the
inevitable was in fact inevitable. The first case of West Nile
Virus has been found in San Francisco. A bird found in the
Presidio was diagnosed with the disease.
As I’m sure you all know, Lake
Merced, considered an Important Bird Area by the Audubon Society, is
especially vulnerable. So too is the important exotic bird
collection at the nearby San Francisco Zoo. Fortunately, we
haven’t experienced the disease around the lake, and a survey of the
lake surface conducted earlier this week has, surprisingly, found no
mosquito larvae; that is indeed very good news. There are,
however, things we can all do to reduce the impact of the West Nile
virus:
·
Perhaps most
important, if you see a dead bird immediately call the
West Nile Virus Hotline at (877) 968-2473, or visit www.sfmosquito.org.
If you see an area that you think might pose a significant mosquito
problem report that as well.
The City's web site and hot
line
are not yet set up to report dead birds. Until they are, please
call
Animal Control at (415) 554-9400 to report any dead birds.
·
Don’t leave pools of water, no matter how small, sitting for more than
a few hours. Clean out birdbaths and the pet’s water bowls
frequently. Mosquitoes can breed in one tablespoon of water.
· And
if you suffer the symptoms of the disease, high fever, headache, stiff
neck, confusion, or muscle weakness, see your doctor immediately.
We have posted
the City's brochure, Fight
the Bite, on our website.
You can get
additional information by calling the Health Department at (415) 252-3805 as well.
On a lighter note, a few
calendar reminders:
·
Next Saturday, September 18, the Clean City Coalition will hold its
20th annual coastal cleanup. A party will be working at Lake
Merced. Meet at the Sunset Circle parking lot at 9:00 A.M.
· The
following Monday, September 20, the Recreation and Park Department will
host a discussion of plans for developing the Boathouse. The
meeting will be held at the Sunset Recreation Center Auditorium, 28th
Avenue at Lawton Street from 6:00 – 7:30 P.M.
· The
9th annual Northern California International Dragon Boat Championships
and Festival will be held on North Lake Saturday September 25 and
Sunday September 26. This is a really fabulous event, and a lot
of fun for all.
· On
Wednesday, October 13 the PUC will review the North Westside Basin
Groundwater Management Plan at a public meeting to be held at A. P.
Giannini Middle School, 3151 Ortega. This is the aquifer that
supports Lake Merced, so it is important to stay posted.
For this month at least,
that’s all folks!
John
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