1. Recent Rainfall Causing Spike In West Nile Virus? 2019 has turned out to be a very bad year for the number of West Nile virus cases and the number of people who have died from the mosquito borne disease. To date, 16 people have died from West Nile. Maricopa County has had 98 confirmed cases and 47 probable cases, more than all other counties, combined. Statewide, there have been 156 cases of West Nile.
Other animals testing positive for West Nile Virus include Avian (2), Sentinel Chicken Flocks (1), Equine (1).
After watering your potted plants or after a rainfall, you are advised to go I nto the yard and drain any and all plant saucers or container of standing water. REMEMBER, it only takes a few tablespoons of water for a mosquito to lay a mosquito egg raft. This brown rice sized raft can produce as many as 400 mosquitoes. The mosquitoes can emerge in as few as four days while other species emerge in 30 days. The first thing they look for after emergence is protein – from blood. Female mosquitoes carry the West Nile Virus. Male mosquitoes do not bite of carry the disease. Source: AZDHS.gov
2. WRRC 2019 Photo Contest “Arizona Runs on Water”™ The WRRC Annual Photo Contest is back and it’s your chance to show us Arizona water in any way that your camera can capture. Use your creativity and technical ability to express the many ways water transforms our state and how our state transforms water. Capture anything from people and nature to business and agriculture. It’s completely up to you. Just make sure your picture relates to water and that it’s taken in Arizona. We can’t wait to see your work! Go to wrrc@email.arizona.edu
3. Diseases Pigeons Carry And Transmit To Humans. Most of us don’t consider birds to be pests. In fact, many of us hang feeders and fill up bird baths in our backyard in order to actively encourage them to visit. But some birds, such as pigeons, can cause just as much damage to your property as an infestation of rats, bed bugs or fleas.
Pigeons love to roost in parking structures, residential air conditioning units, residential roof tops and more
What diseases do pigeons carry? The most common diseases that are associated with pigeons are Histplasmosis, Candidiasis, Crytococcosis, Louis Encephalitis, Salmonellosis and Coli which are transmitted either by inhaling, surface contamination or bites from infected insects which have been feeding on pigeons.
Pigeons may look harmless enough soaring around in the sky, but when they choose to nest nearby, swoop for scraps and foul on your building, they can cause significant destruction and spread some serious diseases.
Top 6 diseases carried by pigeons
It has been suggested that birds such as pigeons are carriers of over 60 different diseases, some of which are airborne and can be transmitted to humans through their droppings. It is important to note that these diseases are mostly contracted by those in high risk occupations such as roofers, farmers, construction workers and pest control experts. Below are diseases commonly carried by pigeons.
- Histoplasmosis
This is a respiratory disease that is caused by inhaling fungal spores, found in pigeon droppings. This fungus grows in central, southeastern and the mid-Atlantic states. Most people do not show any symptoms of histoplasmosis, but if you have inhaled a lot of spores then you may suffer from a fever, cough and chest pain. Treatment is generally not required unless you have been diagnosed with a severe case, wherefore you may be prescribed oral antifungal medication.
- Candidiasis
This disease is also a respiratory condition caused by yeast or fungus found in pigeon droppings. This disease affects the skin, mouth, respiratory system, intestines and the urogenital tract. Candidiasis is a form of thrush and causes itching, pain and discharge. You may also struggle to swallow and develop patches of red or sore skin. Most cases can be treated with antifungal medication.
- Cryptococcosis
This is a worldwide airborne fungal disease, found in pigeon feces. The majority of symptoms occur in the lungs or the brain and include fever, chest pain, cough, headaches, nausea but can lead to more severe symptoms such as blurred vision, lethargy, confusion, seizures and even meningitis. Treatment depends on the severity of the disease but for mild cases, an antifungal medication should be taken.
- St. Louis Encephalitis
This disease is spread by mosquitoes feeding on infected pigeons carrying the Group B virus. When mosquitoes feast on humans they transmit the disease, although it cannot be passed on from human to human. Quite often we will function without even knowing we have contracted St. Louis Encephalitis, however, if you start to experience fever, dizziness, headaches and nausea and these continue to intensify over a number of days, then medical assistance should be sought.
- Salmonellosis
Otherwise known as “food poisoning”, salmonellosis can often be traced back to bacteria found in pigeon poop. As the dust from the dried out droppings are sucked through air conditioning and ventilator units, they contaminate food and surfaces around them. Signs of salmonellosis present themselves relatively quickly and include stomach cramps, sickness, fever and diarrhoea. Most people will start to get better without any medical intervention after a 4-7 day period, however if particularly severe, then a hospital stay may be required.
- Coli
Pigeons enjoy pecking on cow manure, which contain the e-coli bacteria which can cause gastrointestinal infections when passed on through droppings. Signs of e-coli are similar to salmonellosis; however severe cases can lead to kidney related complications. Treatment is generally given in the form of antibiotics and rehydration medication.
There are also a number of parasites that live on or in close proximity with pigeons that are carriers of other diseases. These ectoparasites also have the ability to affect the health and wellbeing of humans. These include bed bugs and chicken mites which live on the pigeons themselves and yellow mealworms which share their nests.
Recommended: Best pigeon traps
How do pigeons transmit diseases?
Birds such as pigeons carry over 60 different types of diseases that are spread to humans through their toxic droppings. To make matters worse, once the pigeon droppings have dried out, they turn to powder which can be carried in the air and inhaled. Most diseases spread by pigeons are airborne, but just like other pests, there is a range of factors which contribute to how these diseases are transmitted.
- Faeces
Pigeons are non-discriminant about where they go to toilet, splattering on benches, buildings and in backyards. And whilst the odd dropping here or there won’t be harmful, when exposed to large amounts, there is an increased risk of contact with harmful bacteria’s that may blow in the breeze. • Feathers Nestled between the feathers are where the parasites live. Whilst a fallen feather won’t do you any harm, a dead bird scattered across a sidewalk is likely to be riddled with disease and should never be touched or moved without proper protective clothing.
- Feathers
Nestled between the feathers are where the parasites live. Whilst a fallen feather won’t do you any harm, a dead bird scattered across a sidewalk is likely to be riddled with disease and should never be touched or moved without proper protective clothing.
- Nests
Pigeons aren’t the only thing to bed down in nests, certain species of fungi and bugs are also keen to rest here. Make sure you make it difficult for pigeons to roost around your building and watch out for any fallen debris.
How to get rid of pigeons on your property
Where there is plentiful supply of food, drink and shelter, you’ll find pigeons foraging on unwanted leftovers and overflowing bins. A nest with a view is also appealing to pigeons, who move into the area and swoop for scraps and foul on buildings. If you want to deter pigeons from your property, take a look at our top tips:
- Prevent roosting access
When looking for a safe place to nest, pigeons seek out ledges, windowsills, attics and eaves. Therefore, it is essential that you ensure good property maintenance to block pigeons from entering. Make sure that you replace any damaged tiles and add barriers and other deterrents such as anti-roosting spike strips around windowsills and eaves to prevent pigeons from landing. - Keep food hidden away
Birds, and in particular pigeons, are brilliant opportunists, especially in urban environments. Therefore, it is important that you keep food sources out of sight and ensure that all bins remain safely closed. Be careful of bird feeders as these may only attract larger bird pests, such as pigeons to your backyard.
You should also clean up any pigeon waste from your property as soon as possible using rubber gloves to keep your immediate space free of pigeon waste. - Implement Pest Control Solutions
If you do notice pigeons “resting” on your roof, frolicking on your fence or bobbing around in your backyard, you may want to consider some bird control solutions before the situation gets out of hand.
Bird nets are a humane way of deterring pigeons although you must check them regularly and release any caught immediately. Once the pigeons figure out that this is not a safe place to visit, they will soon fly off to somewhere else.
Purchase a couple of fake predators, such as an owl or a snake like these, and place it outside your property. This is almost guaranteed to scare off any feral pigeons.
Try a repellent such as an ultrasonic device. These units emit sound waves that are thought to confuse pigeons, sending them on their way – but just be careful when using them around other animals and pets. Alternatively, invest in some gel-repellents. These sticky film gels prevent pigeons from perching on top of your roof. If you are still struggling to scare off pigeons, then call in some professional help and let the pest control experts take over.
4. Scottsdale Water has become the state’s first permanent water treatment facility permitted to treat recycled water for potable water uses. (File photo)
The Advanced Water Treatment Plant at the Scottsdale Water campus became the state’s first — and one of only three in the nation — permanent water treatment facility permitted to treat recycled water for potable water uses. The groundbreaking permit effectively establishes a model for cities across Arizona to begin working towards reusing their precious water resources for future, long-term water sustainability, according to a press release.
“Scottsdale Water has always been at the forefront of water reuse innovation,” said Scottsdale Water Executive Director Brian K. Biesemeyer, in a prepared statement.
“We have been successfully operating our Advanced Water Treatment Plant to treat recycled water to ultra-pure standards for over two decades. We are extremely proud to help not just Arizona cities, but communities worldwide, establish a path toward direct potable reuse and long-term water sustainability.”
Due primarily to the AWT, Scottsdale has recharged over 70 billion gallons into regional aquifers since 1988.
While the water produced by the AWT is considered ultra-pure, up until 2018, there was a regulatory prohibition in Arizona against using recycled water for direct potable use. Last year, the state approved removing the prohibition, which allowed the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality to permit water systems for direct potable reuse.
5. Comment Period Extended for Clean Water Act § 404 RoadmapThank you to stakeholders, public and Tribal leaders for attending this week’s meetings about ADEQ’s Roadmap to Clean Water Act (CWA) § 404 assumption and providing input on the value of Arizona assuming the permitting program.
We have received letters from Inter Tribal Association of Arizona and the Yavapai Apache Nation requesting an extension of the comment period to allow more opportunity to comment and provide Tribal consultations. To honor this request, we have extended the deadline to November 18.
Stakeholders are encouraged to download and review the Roadmap and then click the survey link on Page 66 to provide feedback on the program as currently proposed. Visit azdeq.gov/cwa-404 to Download the Roadmap >
Please email CWA404@azdeq.gov for questions or additional information.
6. As Water Sources Dry Up, Arizona Farmers Feel the Heat of Climate Change Farms in central Arizona will soon lose access to Colorado River water, impacting Knorr Farms owner Rob Knorr is preparing for a big October pepper harvest and mapping out plans for the next planting season—what to grow, where, and how on 3,000 acres in Pinal County. Water, as always, is the linchpin. Like other farmers in this parched county, which stretches for more than 5,300 square miles across the Sonoran Desert, Knorr depends entirely on irrigation water from the Colorado River. He receives it from the Central Arizona Project (CAP), a 336-mile canal system that Knorr calls the “lifeline to Arizona agriculture.”
But this year, Knorr’s lifeline is slipping away. A landmark agreement reached this spring between three of the states that share the lower basin of the Colorado River (Arizona, California, and Nevada) calls for deep cuts in river water allotments through 2026. The Drought Contingency Plan (DCP) aims to prevent the already dangerously low water levels in Lake Mead—the beating heart of the Colorado River delivery system—from dropping further. Arizona, with the most-junior water rights, is absorbing the bulk of the cuts, and Pinal County farmers like Knorr will be among the first to feel the pain of shortages.
The DCP “not only impacts the crops that we grow, it impacts the number of acres,” said Steve Todd, an advisor to Knorr Farms. “There will be acres left fallow,” in the years ahead.
That may be an understatement. Water experts estimate that up to 40 percent of non-Native land in Pinal County will eventually be fallowed as Arizona embraces the drier future that climate change will bring. And that future is coming soon: As of 2022, farmers in Pinal County—ranked in the top 2 percent of all U.S. counties for agricultural sales with $908 million in annual, onfarm direct sales—will lose their guaranteed access to CAP water, and will have to turn to more limited groundwater supplies.
As climate change forces the Southwest to face new rainfall and temperature baselines, agriculture is in the crosshairs. Farming uses, on average, 80 percent of ground and surface water supplies in the U.S., and rapid population growth, over-allocation of a finite resource, and a heavily on those supplies.
Nowhere is this more evident than the Colorado River system, which supplies water to 40 million people in seven U.S. states and two states in Mexico. While it’s still too early to see the DCP’s impact on Arizona farmers, the state’s approach to helping farmers adapt, stepping up water conservation, and spreading the pain—all while honoring Native communities’ senior water rights—could offer a useful example for other arid regions.
Arizona is the nation’s second-largest producer of lettuce, broccoli, and cantaloupe. Its warm climate allows for year-round vegetable production, and earned it recognition as the U.S. winter lettuce capital. Arizona is also a big producer of dairy and cattle, which are important to the state economy.
Pinal County is the state’s powerhouse for dairy and beef, producing 45 percent of Arizona’s cattle and calf sales and 39 percent of its milk. Cotton, hay, corn, and barley are also important crops. Farmers in the county (and neighboring Maricopa and Pima counties as well) are at the epicenter for CAP water cutbacks because they’re among the lowest-priority users of CAP water.
As Cullom explained, western water law follows the “prior appropriation doctrine,” which essentially means, “first in time, first in right.”
Though non-Native farming dates back 150 years in Central Arizona, farmers in Pinal didn’t tap into the Colorado River until the 1980s, when the CAP canal system was built. Initially Pinal farmers used groundwater resources and surface water from Arizona’s Salt, Verde and Gila rivers. Todd’s grandfather, in fact, was among a group of farmers who convinced the federal government in the early 1900s to loan them money to build a dam on Arizona’s Salt River to store irrigation water. That initial dam led to the creation of the Salt River Project, which today provides electricity and surface water to the region.
In the past half century, competition increased for Arizona’s water supplies. Metropolitan Phoenix’s population boom—from barely 100,000 in 1950 to more than 4.5 million today—has resulted in less water for farmers. And as farmers retired, urban expansion gobbled up the land, which essentially transferred the water rights to municipalities, according to Todd.
