Dog Turds at Sherman Island

[isobars]

[airwave]

Eileen, I think you should choose a new rigging area. The grassy area near the Sac Flag is actually a hugh cat litter box! That area is full of loose sand which the 30+ cats that live on Sherman Island love to use as their restroom.
I do not dispute that there delinquent dog owners everywhere, but you need to get past your anger and find another resolution because dogs (and cats) and their poop are not going away. It is one of those facts of life like bad drivers and taxes.
I say "relax" and focus on your sailing!
Lisa

[isobars]

And keep the latex gloves handy for returning the dog crap to its owner.

\m/

[gregnwind]

I bring my dog with me every day I go to the powerlines and I've got to agree with you ! This past week, I even changed my usual rigging place I've used for more years than I want to admit because there's so much #*%@ in the area. And wouldn't you know it, yesterday he dropped a hughe load. Of course I disposed of it immediately.
There's always a few jerks out there. Sometimes I think maybe it's fishermen who frequent the same area. While I'm an avid fisherman also, I still think most fishermane are slobs. On the other hand, most windsurfers are not.
Keep it up (but please, don't kick out all dogs for a few jerks leaving a mess)
Greg

[csorens]

Airwave,

It's not about anger, it's about taking responsibility for your pets. This is not cat shit we're talking about here, it's dog shit. Cat's are very fastidious and almost always bury their feces. As Eileen said we (day sailors) are just about out of choices on where we can park/rig at Sherman anymore because it's turned into a parking lot for delapidated RVs (Oops, there I go, but that's another issue!). If you show up on a Sunday and have to park in the Hinterlands and rig over dog shit to boot it has already detracted alot from your sailing experience before hitting the water! The crowding is eventually going to spoil it for everyone unless more consideration is shown.

[cherrywood182]

It seems like Eileen found the source of the problem. The park rangers are lax in enforcing their own rules. The "dogs on leash" rule if followed would probably stop the situation getting out of control. Maybe a well crafted letter to the park service explaining that they are not doing their job in this area would be a move in the right direction. What if they decided to stop cleaning out the human toilets, or stopped collecting entry fees or didn't repair levees? Aren't they being paid by "us" anyway? I don't think being a dog owner makes you a fan of dog shit. By the way I don't really like dogs or dog shit, but that's not the point here.

[kurtmagness]

I think the park ranger needs to enforce the rules. Most all cities have this problem and have fines from $100- 250 dollars. Hit them in the pocket book and you will see a dramatic drop in the shit. A brief google search on the subject tells us this is a problem that is not unique to Sherman Island. I would suspect that the County of Sacramento has dog shit bag dispensers all over the capitol area parks. Why not at Sherman Island? Eileen is right. Any any dog owner who does not pick up their dogs shit is a unthoughtful, irresponsible, poluting idiot. And any public servant who does not inforce the health and saftey rules should be fired or severly repromanded. Letters need to be written. Being a responsible dog owner, I think it is disgusting to have this sort of behavoir going on. Responsible dog owners need to get on these peoples case big time or lose the right to be there themselves. And as far as the leash law, obey it ! I for one have had my 3 year old girls in a baby jogger attacked while walking with them in a state park, by a pitbull with a idiot of a owner who did not leash their animal. The dog was put to death by animal control thak god. I now am paranoid all the time and watch for possible dog attacks where ever I go. I carry a big stick, rock or mace with me. Clean up after your pets people! Obey leash laws.

[ronadler]

I'm a dog owner and lover and agree that the poop situation is out of hand
and the dog owners need to get serious about self-policing. My view is that if you bring a dog you should clean up dog poop regardless of whose dog is responsible. If every dog owner cleaned up a few poops on every trip, we would be making big progress. Pt. Isabel is another place where you have to watch where you put your hands and gear, but the problem there is that it is a free run area for dogs, and the non-windsurfing dog owners think our rigging area is a "free fire" zone. More signs would help. I carry NY Times bags and hand them to owners who are trying to get away without cleaning up

[johnl]

Eileen,

After windsurfing at the delta for over 12 years I still don't have a clew where you are talking about. It sounds like you are talking about the state (county?) park at the end of the road. But I didn't think anybody was allowed to stay over night there. I can't think of any other area other than across from windy cove that you can spend that night that is state/county owned. I thought the launches between powerlines and just outside the access were all private/rancher or open area.

Also you might try checking out "the access". It's the turnoff right before the road goes back up on top the levee again. Out of the wind (well the main wind anyway) rigging, and a short carry up and over the road to the launch (with sand bags). There were only 3 of us today (where was everybody??? Afraid of some algae??? Come on, it was 4.0 wind!!!) but normally there are 2 - 10 people sailing there so you would probably find somebody to chat with

Oh yeah, no dog poop either there (at least none that I have seen)

[airwave]

Airwave here again,

We have a dog. We walk him around Sherman. When he poops we pick it up. After he poops we let him run around free. If anyone sees our dog poop and we do not pick it up, tell us. We will take corrective action.

Eileen you have complained to me about the poop in the area and blamed my dog for it a few weeks ago. My dog was tied up in the back of my car at the time. He had not been out all day. Please be sure when you accuse dogs of pooping you have the right poop on the poop.

That said.... I know my poop. The poop in the area Eileen is refering to is not dog poop. It is cat poop. The cats that do the pooping in that particular area are there all the time. I saw them there today. My dog chased them from the area. He loves to roll around in cat poop but does not roll around in dog poop. He started to roll around in the poop in the mentioned area today and also on Sunday. I stopped him. Friday I did not catch him soon enough and sure enough he rolled around in it. I had to take him down to the water and make him fetch a ball many times so that the cat poop would wash away.

If we are to put up signs about dog poop I believe we need to be fair and also put up signs about cat poop.

While sailing today I saw a really big sturgeon. I have no doubts that we probably need a Strugeon poop warning sign as well.

Phil