By Marie McCain
The Cincinnati Enquirer

MIAMI TOWNSHIP - They've tried cohabitation. They've tried herding dogs. But nothing has worked to drive away the hundreds of Canada geese in Miami Meadow Park.

Now, officials in this northwestern Clermont County township are hoping pyrotechnics will speed these feathered pests on their way.

John Zellner, Miami Township parks supervisor, said hundreds of geese have made a home of the park's 25-acre lake.

"On any given day you can find anywhere from 250 to 1,000 geese," Zellner said. "We have athletic fields and soccer fields (and) especially near the lake area there are a lot of droppings."

At risk is the environmental quality of the park - especially the lake. The sheer number of geese, as well as their feces, could endanger other wildlife that need the lake for survival, Zellner added.

"It'll get to the point where it will actually start killing the fish," he said.

Beginning in the spring, workers will create loud noises, using starter pistols, to scare the birds from the park.

In the past, officials have used dogs to herd the birds, but they had little effect.

Officials with the Ohio Department of Wildlife are concerned about the lake. They plan to gauge the condition of the water, but only after the geese are gone.

Visitors to the park are being asked not to the feed the birds. They become reliant on humans for their food and it is what makes them stay at the park, officials said.

E-mail mmccain@enquirer.com