The city of Kirkland is asking residents not to feed ducks or geese at local waterfront parks.

Reasons behind high fecal coliform bacteria closure of the Marina Park beach are still muddy, but a note was sent out by the city on July 8 urged residents to curb their water-fouling habits.

The beach at Marina Park was closed on June 25 and reopened a week later, just in time for Independence Day celebrations.

Feeding ducks and geese generally attracts more birds to beaches, resulting in more droppings, higher bacteria levels and risk of disease for humans, pets and wild animals alike.

Results returned negative for human bacteria were negative, and results for bird bacteria hadn’t returned as of July 8.

Beach closures are nothing new to Kirkland, which saw the closure of Juanita Beach for seven weeks last summer following a storm. Houghton Beach was closed for a weekend in 2014, and Juanita Beach was closed for a week in 2009 and for several days in 2008.

In most cases, and especially with the Juanita Beach incident last summer, too many birds are to blame. In 2015, a storm washed aquatic plants onto the beach, drawing geese — and dropping — in large quantities.

According to Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife records, populations of nonmigrating (year-round residents) Canada geese have expanded in number over the past 25 years. Few predators and ample food and water are among the main causes.

When geese must sustain themselves on a natural food supply, the WDFW maintains, geese populations are likely to spread out and not congregate where human food is easily found.

While the WDFW said geese aren’t a significant source of infectious disease transmittable to humans, droppings can cause ‘swimmers itch,’ an irritation caused by a parasite spread by droppings. Swimmers can avoid the itch by toweling off, even under swim suits, and taking a soapy shower immediate after leaving the water.