SPRING LAKE, Mich. — Months after a growing colony of double-crested cormorants created concerns over property damage and waste at Village Cove Marina, Spring Lake officials now have a clearer picture of how wildlife managers plan to address the problem.
During a Village Council work session Monday, officials discussed recommendations from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service that begin with an unusual approach: A sound system intended to drive the birds away.
WATCH: Spring Lake considers sound system, tree removal to address cormorant problem
The first step would be deploying what officials are calling a "sound blanket" on Village Cove Marina property. The system is designed to disrupt the cormorants' ability to communicate, which wildlife managers hope will cause them to leave the area.
"The idea is to put out this noise level and confuse the birds because they can't communicate between each other anymore with the sound, theoretically," Assistant Village Manager Lukas Hill told council members.
Hill said the system is audible to people and would be directed toward the trees where the birds have been roosting. Questions remain about how frequently the system would operate and how noticeable the sound could be to people nearby.
"It's probably the most logical first step to try with the least amount of impact," Hill said.
The DNR said it is coordinating with Village Cove Marina because permission from the property owner is needed to install the system.
The proposal comes after FOX 17 first reported on the growing colony in August. Neighbors and boat owners said cormorant waste had coated portions of the marina's parking lot and caused concerns about damage to boats, vehicles and other property.
At the time, wildlife officials said addressing the colony was complicated because double-crested cormorants are federally protected migratory birds, meaning management efforts have to comply with federal wildlife law.
Village President Mark Powers said that left the village dependent on wildlife agencies with experience managing the species.
"It's a function of expertise at that point, and they have it, we don't," Powers said. "It becomes our problem, but we can't offer the solution. So here we are."
The birds were previously concentrated on islands in the Grand River before expanding into trees on village property near the marina, according to village officials.
The DNR's interest also extends beyond the concerns at the marina. Fisheries officials previously told FOX 17 the colony could affect fish stocked in the Grand River. Newly stocked salmon and trout can be vulnerable to cormorant predation.
Tree removal could come next
The sound blanket may not solve the problem on its own.
In an Oct. 21 letter to the village, the DNR said the density of trees near the water could make the system less effective. If that happens, some trees within Mill Point Park may eventually need to be removed to reduce the number of places available for the birds to roost and allow the sound system to more effectively cover the remaining trees.
The DNR said financial assistance could be available for tree removal as the agency receives additional money for expanded cormorant management efforts across Michigan.
Powers said some of the trees occupied by the birds have already sustained significant damage.
"I would expect that since it's, I'm told, dead, and not really adding much to the environment anymore, that we probably will take those trees down at some point," Powers said.
Any removal of village-owned trees would still go through the village's review process. The DNR acknowledged those local procedures in its recommendation and said the agency could assist the village as it works through them.
Cormorant waste can acidify soil underneath nesting colonies and eventually kill live trees, DNR Fisheries officials previously told FOX 17.
The possibility of removing trees is not considered the first step. For now, wildlife managers want to see whether the sound blanket can discourage the birds without more significant changes to the area.
Waiting for next summer
Village officials said the DNR is leading the management effort, leaving relatively little immediate action for council members to take.
If tree removal becomes necessary on village property, council would have to grant permission before that part of the plan could move forward.
For now, the village is preparing to see what happens when the birds return.
The outcome could determine whether the sound blanket becomes the solution or simply the first step in a longer effort to manage a colony that has continued to expand along Spring Lake's waterfront.
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