TeWinkle Park is home to the only lake in all of Costa Mesa. It's also where mallards and their friends come to roost. Authorities say the problem is what they leave behind, and how the growing population is turning the man-made lake foul.
They also blame fishermen who come here and catch their lines on the aeration pipes that sit just at the water level. Authorities say it costs a lot to maintain this little bit of country in the city. It's just too expensive to drain the lake and fix the pipes, says Peter Naghavi, Costa Mesa's director of public works.
Costa Mesa spent $1 million to rehab TeWinkle Lake four years ago. Since then, it estimates the number of fine-feathered friends has more than quadrupled. They believe the answer is to make it illegal to feed the birds.
The City Council will hold a second and final vote on the ordinance on Tuesday.
