If Canada geese are frequently visiting your shoreline, the issue is often habitat—not the geese themselves. Large, manicured lawns along the water create ideal conditions that attract geese by providing easy access to food, water, and open visibility to watch for predators. Over time, this can lead to growing resident goose populations and increased environmental impacts on the lake.

Why Geese Are Attracted to Lawns
Abundant food source
Canada geese are herbivores that prefer short, tender grass. Lawns that are regularly fertilized and mowed produce nutrient-rich grass that geese love. An adult goose can eat up to four pounds of grass each day.

Safety from predators
Wide, open lawns give geese clear sightlines so they can easily spot potential predators. This sense of safety encourages them to return and remain in the area.

Easy access to water
When lawns extend directly to the shoreline, geese can move easily between feeding areas and the lake. The water provides a place to drink, bathe, and quickly escape danger.

Reduced migration

When food and safety are plentiful, many Canada geese stop migrating and instead remain in one location year-round. This has contributed to an increase in resident geese populations around Coldwater Lake and throughout the chain.

What You Can Do
Create a native shoreline buffer
Plant a buffer strip of native grasses, wildflowers, or shrubs along the shoreline at least 20–30 inches tall. Taller vegetation blocks the geese’s line of sight and creates a natural barrier that makes them feel more vulnerable to predators.

Limit fertilization and mowing
Reducing fertilizer makes grass less nutritious and less attractive to geese. Allowing grass near the shoreline to grow taller than six inches can also discourage grazing.

Dispose of droppings properly
If goose droppings accumulate on docks or hard surfaces, scrape them into a garbage bag and clean the area with an environmentally friendly solution such as vinegar. Avoid rinsing droppings directly into the lake, as they contain bacteria and nutrients that can harm water quality.

[Shared from Michigan State University Website]

Boaters and anglers are a major source of aquatic invasive species introduction in Michigan. Do your part to prevent their spread by cleaning, draining, drying and disposing every time you leave the water.  ​

[Shared from Michigan State University Website]

CLEAN boats, trailers and equipment and remove all mud, debris and aquatic plant material from trailers and watercraft before launching or retrieving a watercraft. Use a hose or power washer when available.
DRAIN live wells, bilges, ballast tanks, and all water from boats before leaving the access site. Consider disinfecting live wells and bilges with a bleach solution (1/2 cup bleach to 5 gallons of water) when possible. Fish diseases and microscopic life stages of aquatic invasive species can be hiding in seemingly clean water, so draining is an important step.
DRY all boats and equipment thoroughly before leaving an access area and prior to relaunching in a new waterbody.
DISPOSE of bait in the trash. Do not release bait into the water. Release of bait and minnows can lead to the unintended introduction of diseases and aquatic invasive species.
DO NOT TRANSFER FISH to water bodies other than where they were caught. This helps prevent the spread of both aquatic invasive species and fish diseases.

IT’S THE LAW
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DO NOT launch or transport watercraft or trailers unless they are free of aquatic organisms, including plants.
DO NOT transport a watercraft without removing all drain plugs and draining all water from bilges, ballast tanks, and live wells.
DO NOT release bait into the water.
Violation of the law is a state civil infraction. Violators may be subject to fines. Learn more on aquatic invasive species in Marble-Coldwater Chain of Lakes here.