Dive Brief:
- Berkeley, California is making plans to prevent squirrels and gophers from digging holes into Cesar Chavez Park, a former landfill.
- The city wants to trap, remove and terminate the rodents because they are releasing toxins into the Bay as they dig. It is thought that the animals are adversely impacting the ecosystem in the area.
- Officials are worried that the clay cap covering the landfill will be punctured, causing rainwater to carry hazardous materials into the water.
Dive Insight:
Berkeley has attempted to find a solution to this issue for years. Beginning in 2009, staff at the Regional Water Quality Control Board recognized extreme erosion along the cover around the three shorelines of the landfill. Raptor perch and owl boxes were placed throughout the site, but have not reduced the rodent population. An extermination date has not been set. Falcons have been used to reduce seagull populations, but would it work for rodents?
