***UPDATE*** Holiday lake board has illegally voted to remove the aerator without hearing any concerns from its members. Save the lives of two innocent ducks dumped into the wild after being used as an adult prank.

Please feel to contact the holiday lake board office at (641) 522-7686 or the board president at (641) 522-9310. The ducks are depending on all of us! Thank You for your support.

A news article can also be viewed surrounding this issue at the following URL: 

http://www.kcrg.com/content/news/Brooklyn-man-fights-to-save-ducks-from-predators-468716293.html

We desperately need your help! Two domestic ducks who have made it through the brutal winter conditions thus far lives' are now in jeopardy. Let me start from the beginning...

In early July of 2017, two domesticated Peking ducklings were knowingly and purposely dumped into the wild following their use as a "prank" amongst adult residents near the site which they were dumped. My girlfriend and I noticed the ducklings immediately and knew they didn't belong where they were. After realizing they couldn't fly and were struggling for food, we began supplementing their diets with protein rich duck food and cracked corn as they showed heavy signs of malnourishment. Within a few weeks of feeding, the ducks began to show signs of strength and growth from our help and became very accustomed to the sound of our vehicle approaching them for their afternoon treats. We researched what foods are good for ducks and tried several, finding that watermelon holds a very special place in their hearts as they would eat it right out of our hands. As summer turned into fall, we began to look for options to protect them once winter began, knowing that access to open water was their only protection from land based predators. Our initial plan was to relocate the ducks to a "safe place" for the winter and bring them back next spring. With the warm fall temperatures, the relocation plans fell somewhat behind and our "human interaction" with them during feeding time became non-existent as they began receiving pressure from foxes and coyotes during the evening hours. Eventually, the ducks began staying on the water all night long and slept on shore during daylight hours. I knew there was no chance of humanely capturing them for relocation before the water froze over and allowed predators to get them. I asked the Holiday Lake board of directors for permission to install a small aeration system which would keep open water and provide safety for the ducks. After some debate, the board of directors agreed to letting me operate the aeration system under the condition that any additional waterfowl migrating into the open water would require the system to be shutdown and the ducks relocated. I agreed to their terms and offered to purchase some warning signs for thin ice similar to the ones they use on another body of water near my residence. I never received a response for my offer to purchase warning signs. I have monitored daily and have not viewed any additional waterfowl. I was shocked when I received a call on January 8, 2018 from the board president ordering me to remove the aerator by no later than the upcoming weekend because ice fishermen are complaining about the small area no longer available for them to fish.

I understand the safety concerns surrounding aeration on a body of water where ice fishing takes place and have offered to monitor and report ice thickness along with changing the aeration system pressures and/or shutting the system down during periods of warm weather as required to maintain a safe environment for both humans and the ducks. A safety reporting system combined with proper signage such as this will be a win-win for all parties. As an added benefit, the aeration system is helping all users of Bozo pond by breathing life into the water, which reduces winter fish kill, breaks water stratification, and significantly improves water quality by stabilizing pH, reducing alkalinity, and removing carbon dioxide. All of the benefits result in decreased pond treatments which have been costing lake members thousands of dollars over the past few years. -This is all free as I have purchased the aeration equipment and am paying for the utilities required to run it.

My offers to collaborate with the holiday lake board on all aforementioned items were immediately declined without consideration. If I remove the aerator, it will only be a matter of time before the water freezes and the ducks become victims of predators. Please help!