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West Nile virus does not appear to be a relevant worry at the Plaza Duck Pond.

Last week Sonoma City Councilmember Ken Brown met with environmental experts to discuss the status of the Plaza duck pond, looking at both the health of the birds and the cleanliness of the water. West Nile fears were raised because a Petaluma park was posted with warnings the disease could be present. But while additional research is planned, Nizza Sequeira with the Marin/Sonoma Vector Control District said West Nile virus is unlikely to be a problem in the Plaza pond. "The last time any mosquitoes were even detected in that pond was in March of 2007," she said.

The vector control district tests the pond water two to three times a month looking for mosquitoes carrying the West Nile virus, but has never found any inside the Plaza, likely because the fish and ducks eat much of the mosquito larvae. So far this year, the number of West Nile cases is particularly low. There have only been two confirmed cases in Sonoma County, which include a dead bird found in Windsor and a positive mosquito sample in Petaluma that caused the vector control district to put out warning signs at Shollenberger Park.

The virus mainly impacts birds; however, if a mosquito bites an infected bird it can spread the disease to other birds, horses or humans that it bites. In California in 2007, 18 deaths were reported and another 378 people sought medical attention for the virus, according to the vector control district.  

Tom Rusert, creator of Sonoma Birding, raised concerns that the Petaluma park is only 20 miles away, which is not unusually far for a bird to travel. Overall low numbers of the virus in Northern California makes it less likely the Plaza pond will be affected by West Nile. "It's been an extremely quiet year," Sequeira said.

Rusert also questioned the health of the water in the Plaza duck pond, which he said should hold no more than eight ducks although it currently is home to around 15. Rusert said too many ducks could impact the safety of the pond water.

"There's a direct correlation between the number of ducks and the health of the water. The community has to be sure that this is a clean environment," Rusert said. "There seems to be a filtration system but I've been there dozens of times and I've never seen it on."

The pond was designed with a complex filtration system meant to filter the water and recycle clean water back into the pond while separating out the waste to dispose into the sanitary sewer system.

"It's a flood protection and pollution management system," said Rod Houser of Winzler and Kelly, the Santa Rosa-based engineering firm that designed the Plaza duck pond. "It's designed to run on an automated system."

City Parks Supervisor Dave Chavoya said his department has had trouble with the filtration system getting clogged with algae, meaning the water is filtered less frequently than the design called for. He plans to consult with Doug Hanford, who constructed the pond, to remedy the problem.

Brown and Rusert will continue to examine the health of the pond, but more planning and research is needed before any decisions are made.

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