"Let's DOO it" dog waste cleanup yields pounds of old poo

Poo per mile. It's probably not a measure you've ever heard of. But on May 1st the calculation came in at 268 piles of poo per mile on the trails at Coot Lake and west of the Boulder Reservoir.

The "Let's DOO it" campaign brought out volunteers and staff from City of Boulder Parks and Recreation who marked each poo pile with an orange flag that said "Bag it. Pack it. Can it." There were a total of 671 piles found along 2.5 miles of trails, amounting to 36.5 pounds of waste. BPR staff also engaged nearly 100 visitors to remind them of why it matters to pick up their dog's poop.

The obvious answers are that it's unsightly and smells bad, but what it also harms is water quality and native plants. BPR wants dog guardians to know that bacteria, nitrogen and phosphorous from their pet's waste can be carried into waterways and storm drains by rain or snowmelt that runs across the paths.

When those compounds get into water in places like Coot Lake and the Boulder Reservoir, it depletes oxygen and encourages algal blooms. The algae can be unhealthy for humans, dogs and wildlife who drink or swim in the water.

BPR also said that dog poo changes the soil composition which can kill native plants, encouraging noxious weeds to take over.

Now if that doesn't get folks to "Doo the right thing" as the city asks, then there is the $100 fine for not picking up their dog's poo.

During the pick-up event, staffers handed out bandanas with the slogan "Let's DOO it" to get pets and their people to help spread the message.