Silver Lake State Bird Refuge is a beautiful natural state habitat that has been designated as a wildlife sanctuary for years. In recent months, there has been a lot of talk about the fountains that were added to our beautiful refuge. The great debate to turn the fountains off or on has covered many topics ranging from water quality to beauty and environmental concerns.
As a native Rehoboth Beach person, I grew up on Silver Lake State Bird Refuge. It is my home, as it is home to many people. However, it is also home to many species of flora and fauna. Originally, I accepted these soaring waters as beneficial to our beautiful lake environment because I was under the impression they were there for lake health, to aerate the waters. Instead, it has come out recently that this was not the case. A recent article clarified that a city employee believed them to be an aesthetic enhancement to the lake’s natural beauty. It is very apparent that these fountains have been foisted upon our birds and fish, changing the landscape of our diverse ecosystem. As the fountains have been turned off, the immediate return of great blue herons, my particular favorite, was a welcome response. I hope other residents and visitors have noticed the uptick in our beautiful herons, varying species of ducks, many turtles using the fountain platforms to sunbathe. There seems to be generally more fauna since the fountains have been off.
While some people may enjoy the visual aspect of the fountains, the importance of this refuge remaining a preserve for the animals should be at the forefront of the lake health. Debates on human beauty are null and void; the lake is not there for humans, which is why it is a refuge. In the past, temporary visuals such as the Christmas trees were fun visual enhancements for a couple of months. But, permanent changes should be studied by wildlife experts to know the effect to the ecosystem. The consistent noise, visual impacts to the lake surface, and changing colored lights affect the birds and other wildlife. This seems to manifest in animal behavior before and after the fountains were active.
I encourage people to enjoy the lake and all its beauty without the human influence; even signs along the lake state “Keep Our Wildlife Wild.” Appreciate our migratory birds, fish, turtles and other local wildlife. Please, debates aside, think first of the wildlife we are protecting.
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