Sarah Wright, an advocate of poop-free trails, walks her dog, Chama, up the Nature Trail on Tuesday. The facts on dog feces place it third on the list of the largest contributors of bacterial pollution in urban watersheds, making up for 20 percent of the bacteria found in urban waterways./Photo by Jennaye Derge

The pile up

Durango’s poo problem stinking up local trails

by Tracy Chamberlin

It smells like it’s everywhere. Poo piles littering the trails around Durango, thawing in the warm sun and melting into local rivers and streams.

“I do not enjoy picking it up either, but I do,” said Melanie Kelly, a local pet-sitter and trail user.

When Kelly walked along Animas Mountain early one morning, she said she picked up pounds and pounds of unwanted dog excrement lining the trail north of town. As a pet-sitter, she hits the trails almost every day and is an eyewitness to far too many fecal orphans.

“I’m totally an eyewitness,” she said. “So are my shoes.”

Kelly said she’s seen dog owners wait while their dogs defecate on the trail, then continue along without hesitation. She’s not the only one.

Even the city’s Parks and Recreation Director Cathy Metz said she’s noticed it, too. She agrees it is a problem, and it’s pervasive. “It’s obvious throughout the entire city,” she added.

According to the Front Range “Keep it Clean Partnership,” dog poop is a major contributor to stormwater pollution.

The partnership, which includes Boulder County and its cities of Boulder, Erie, Lafayette, Longmont, Louisville and Superior, came together in an effort to protect water quality and reduce stormwater pollution.

With education, outreach, management, enforcement and prevention, the group combines resources to address what the Environmental Protection Agency says is the No. 1 source of water pollution in the country: stormwater run-off.

The group’s “Doo Good” campaign works to educate the public on the potential health hazards of not doing their civic “doodie.”

The group uses slogans like “Keep it clean, ‘cause we’re all downstream!” or “Think picking up dog poop is unpleasant? Try drinking it.”

All the poop puns aside, the smell and an unsightly trail system are not the only concerns. Animal feces carries some real health hazards with it.

The facts on dog feces place it third on the list of largest bacterial polluters in urban watersheds, making up for 20 percent of the bacteria found in waterways. One gram of dog poop can contain 23 million fecal coliform bacteria, spreading diseases like Salmonella, according to the partnership.

“It’s high in nitrogen and phosphorous, which is harmful to fish,” said Cindy Ortman, a local dog walker who spends almost every day on the trails.

Whether it’s winter or summer, Ortman sees the poo continue to pile up. On average, only about 10 percent of dog owners take care of the defecation. “I see people not picking up right next to (trash) receptacles,” she added.

Abandoned poo piles also present a health problem for dogs. LeeAnn Craig, owner of Healthy Hounds and Fat Cats, a local pet supply and food store, said for some dogs, it can be an irresistible treat. Like a gateway drug, once a dog acquires a taste, he’ll go back time and time again. And out on the trail, where it’s everywhere, it’s a veritable smorgasbord.

Such risky behavior comes with the possibility of, best case, vomiting  or, worst case, ailments like worms, which create a health risk for the entire family.

“It can be really harmful,” Craig said.

One thing everyone seems to agree on is the problem is getting worse.

Maybe the deep winter snowfall kept some pet owners from wading in to retrieve their prize. Others suggest the number of dogs in the community is growing and, in turn, so is their waste.

Durango’s trail system sees heavy use all year long. Bikers, runners, climbers, hikers, walkers – they all use the trails and many of them are also dog owners.

Some people who are moving fast along the trails, maybe biking or running, miss the moment when their dogs decide to do their duty. Other times owners remember to bag it, but forget to pick it up on their way back.

It is unlawful to leave it on the trail. Durango has an ordinance, under the Prohibitive Acts section of the City Code, requiring dog owners to pick up the poop. The ordinance has been on the books since 1987, Metz said.

“Animal Control is who writes the tickets,” she added. “If they see it.”

La Plata County Animal Control can and does issue citations, but the infraction needs to be witnessed firsthand. Metz said perhaps getting the word out can help.

Some residents, though, are looking to other communities for solutions.

The City of Boulder has taken a somewhat controversial approach to dogs on the trails. It’s called the “Green Tag” program and requires dog owners to attend a free class in-person and pay fees. Then they receive a green-colored dog tag, which means their dog can be off-leash.

Although it’s not specifically focused on waste, it’s an attempt to require dog owners to register with the city and receive some education. 

Craig said she heard about an apartment complex in an episode of “This American Life” where they actually tested the DNA of dogs in the neighborhood. The tests were used to identify unclaimed poop piles and fine the owners. She said she’s even considered hosting a poop-picking up contest with prizes and other goodies. But, she’s not so sure anyone would welcome such a weekend activity.

Other local residents have suggested additional trash cans. For example, Craig said there’s no trash receptacle at the back entrance to the Dog Park, which sees a lot of traffic. Other spots are at the Junction Creek trailhead, where the receptacle sometimes goes missing, or at the top and bottom of the Nature Trail.

Then there’s old-fashioned peer pressure. “Here’s a bag,” Craig recommends would-be vigilantes tell scofflaws. “Please, pick it up.”

Mary Monroe, executive director for Trails 2000, said the community needs to figure out a way to make it work because everyone shares the trails.

“We should post a sign that says, ‘The poop fairies no longer pick up your poop,’” Monroe joked.

But education can be an effective tool. She suggested reaching out to residents, letting them know about dog ownership and sharing the trails.

Fixes like these might not necessarily solve the puzzle, but at least people are talking.

“We’re a dog-friendly community,” Monroe said. “I think we all need to step up.”