ANAHEIM : Lake Plan Threatens Birds, Officials Say

Dozens of nesting mallards and great blue herons, and their eggs and chicks, could be destroyed if county officials drain Anaheim Lake, a process already begun, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service says.

The man-made lake, water source and popular fishing hole will be drained this weekend so tractors can bulldoze the lake bed clean. But those migratory birds are threatened by the plan, said Herb Curry, a Fish and Wildlife Service agent.

Anaheim Lake is valued because its sandy bottom allows thousands of gallons of water to seep into the earth and replenish an underground water reservoir, which, in turn, supplies drinking water to most of Orange County. The water district pumps in Santa Ana River water because it percolates into the earth better at the lake than it does in the river.

But over the course of a year, a carpet of algae builds up, blocking seepage and slowing the rate at which water sinks into the ground. Water officials say scouring the algae off is the only way to return the seepage process to full speed.

But the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is concerned that scores of heron and duck chicks and their eggs will be destroyed by the tractors, said Herb Curry, special agent based in Gardena.

Fish and Wildlife also fears that the nests on the three islands will be exposed to predators once the lake is drained and four-legged animals can cross on dry land to what is usually a refuge.

The birds are protected by the federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act, Curry said. Anyone found guilty of killing a migratory bird or destroying an egg or a nest--even accidentally--can be fined $20,000 or jailed for one year, he added.

Jim Van Haun, a spokesman for the water district, said he does not believe that any birds were hurt or killed in previous drainings. And he said he had placed a call with Fish and Wildlife officials Wednesday to learn how the water district could ensure the birds’ safety this year.

“I don’t think we’ve ever destroyed a nest,” he said. “But we are going to watch that very closely” this year.

Water officials are draining the lake now because they want to refill it with water supplies before they run dry in the summer, Van Haun said. In addition to pumping in water from the Santa Ana River, the water district pipes imported water for Anaheim Lake from the Metropolitan Water District.

“We’re proceeding ahead,” Van Haun said. “We’ll watch our operation very closely so that we don’t kill any birds. We won’t be in violation of the act if we don’t kill any birds.”

The water that is pumped out of the lake will be piped to the Santa Ana River, where most of it is expected to seep into the ground in a six-mile stretch of levees built by the water district.

Draining the lake and scouring its bottom will take about 30 days, Van Haun said.