A not so ba-a-a-ad solution for clean drinking water Amy Walsh, a forester at the City of Albany, shows the work that the goats did. LOUDONVILLE — A CSEA member’s creative thinking led to a nature-against-nature solution for a brush-clogged reservoir. City of Albany Forester Amy Walsh found herself in a bind recently, trying to maintain cityowned land containing aquifers and reservoirs for Albany’s drinking water. So she turned to a country solution: goats. Walsh performs water quality samplings to ensure safety, and she’s proud of the work the Albany Water Department does. “Our water is always highly rated for water quality. It’s some of the best water in the country,” Walsh said. But the Loudonville Reservoir, located in an Albany suburb and serving Albany, had 20 years of growth clogging the eastern side of the main basin. The water in the basin is “finished,” meaning it has gone through the treatment process and is ready to drink save for a final chlorine treatment. The trees and shrubs crowding the bank of the basin emit pollen, attract bugs and lure wildlife to the banks of the reservoir. That proximity to the water makes foresters like Walsh very uneasy. The growth was so extensive and in a spot so steep that it would be impossible to mow, and plants such as sumac, and poison ivy and oak, along with plentiful diseasecarrying ticks, provide hazards for workers tasked with clearing the brush. Walsh was unsuccessful in getting bids for the work — no one wanted the job. So, she got creative. “I had heard of other cities outside of New York having success using goats and goats were also used in Schenectady at a cemetery, so why not?” she said. City officials were receptive to the out-of-the box idea. Walsh completed a proposal detailing the project and was given the go-ahead. Walsh located Heather Ridge Farm in Preston Hollow, whose owners were willing to lease part of their herd to the city for five weeks, the length of time it would take to get the job done, or, in this case, eaten. The goats were brought in from their rural southern Albany County home, a fence and shelter were set up and work began in earnest. Walsh said the goats took down the brush and pulled down pesky vines such as bittersweet, making it easier for workers to complete the job. A visit to the reservoir mid-project revealed one side completely cleared of brush after the goats went through and human workers finished the job. The contrast to a side the goats had just begun clearing was startling. Walsh enjoys working with the goats, who she said are sweet, docile creatures who are easy to care for. “They do great work, too!” — Therese Assalian During After November 2015 The Work Force 13
The Work Force - November 2015
To see the actual publication please follow the link above