Mirror Pond
It's a long standing tradition in Spokane to grab a bag of bread and head to Manito Park, Cannon Hill Park or Riverfront Park to watch and feed the ducks.
But, have you noticed the condition of those ponds and the quality of the water? The feeding of ducks by humans has created an artificial food supply that is attracting well more ducks than the pond's fragile ecosystems can support. Feeding ducks not only encourages the ducks to stay longer than they should, but creates an unhealthy environment with the potential for spread of disease.
Parks and Recreation staff members along with The Friends of Manito are currently working on a proposal to determine the best alternatives to renovate and improve the water quality at Mirror Pond.
"We are working on a landscape design plan and cost estimates," said Horticultural Supervisor, Steve Nittolo. "We will definitely be moving forward with a restoration of the pond and a general clean up to improve water quality, but as a first step we need the public's help to manage the duck overpopulation."
Here's why feeding ducks, and especially feeding wild ducks bread, is a big problem:
Wild ducks need a naturally diverse diet.
Feeding bread creates overweight yet malnourished ducks.
The availability of bread creates an artificial food supply that attracts more wild ducks than small ponds' ecosystems can sustain.
Poor water quality is a direct result of this overpopulation of wild and domestic ducks.
Inferior water makes the pond inhospitable to other native wildlife such as turtles, frogs, and other species that are lost in the balance.
The more ducks, the more potential for disease transfer between birds and even to humans.
Feeding wild ducks too late in the season disrupts their migratory pattern. They might even be too fat to fly!
The Parks and Recreation Department staff is working diligently to improve the water quality at the Manito Park and Cannon Hill Park ponds, and in Riverfront Park near the Carrousel.
To do that we ask the public's help to not feed the ducks so as to sustain a fun and safe environment for all who use the parks.
For more information please contact: Spokane Parks and Recreation 509-625-6200.
History of the Pond
Mirror Pond was originally a natural lake called Mirror Lake that would dry up during the summer months, until a concrete retaining structure was built to keep it full throughout the year.
It was large enough to accommodate canoes that could be rented on site. A dance hall was located on the bank of the lake and open air motion pictures were shown nearby from 1905-1907.
In 1955, a natural basalt rock fireplace was erected at the west end as a memorial to Lt. Lawrence Rist, an Air Force officer killed in action during the Korean War.
