According to an article titled Understanding Waterfowl – Resident Canadas, found on the Ducks Unlimited website; most biologists believe there are currently more Canada Geese in North America now than at any other time in history.   

  The problems associated with such high numbers of geese are many, and may include the following:  property damage, human health and safety issues, reduction in aesthetic value and recreation use due to accumulation of droppings and overgrazing, and potential loss of revenue.

  Health and safety issues are posed both by the geese themselves and the volume of droppings they produce (which is in excess of 1.5 pounds of droppings per day, per goose).  Water quality is a concern as fecal coliform counts may reach unsafe levels for swimming and drinking, and water degradation may occur due to excessive nutrient levels.  The geese may also become aggressive towards humans during the nesting and brood-rearing period.

  Aside from the unsightly mess that the geese leave behind, there is also the potential for people to slip on the goose feces and fall, possibly sustaining injuries.  Along with the potential for human injury there is then the potential for lawsuits. 

  While there are a number of possible ways to consider dealing with nuisance geese, not all methods are equally as effective or environmentally friendly.  Chemical products may be sprayed to make the vegetation unpalatable to the geese, however they will wash away with the rain and will need to be re-applied every 2-3 days, which can become both time consuming and costly, not to mention the possible environmental risk when applied in close proximity to a water source. 

  Other methods of deterring geese can include noises, lights, pyrotechnics and boundary fencing, all of which would indeed be disruptive to the geese but also to nearby residents and businesses.  These methods are only minimally effective as the geese become accustomed to the sights and sounds and become immune to their threat potential.  The same is true of using decorative swans; the geese become accustomed to the sight and recognize that artificial swans are not a threat. In some areas the use of live swans has been employed, also without much success as the species can and do learn to co-exist.  Relocation of geese during their flightless period can provide temporary relief but as geese are migratory birds that return to the site where they hatched to raise their own young, relocation is only a temporary measure at best.