The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers at Barren River Lake, along with area water watchers, is disturbed about an illegal tire dump discovered recently on the government property.

In his travels, Allen County resident Terry Davis, 56, said he stopped on Ky. 100 to chat with some people collecting water samples from a bridge between Holland and Fountain Run.

After getting out of his vehicle, he glanced down and noticed a considerable pile of tires – 37, to be exact – under the bridge.

&#8220If I had seen someone doing it, I would’ve stopped it. They would’ve been off the bridge, too,” said Davis, an avid fisherman. &#8220I can’t stand dump sites, especially on a waterway.”

Dumbfounded by the dump, he alerted his friend, Brett Zalla, a conservation officer with Kentucky’s Department of Fish and Wildlife.

&#8220Roadside dumps are unfortunately all too common, but this type – we don’t see it that often, fortunately,” Zalla said.

The sheer volume of tires was unusual and the dump is the first known in the area, he added.

To arrange a cleanup, Zalla had to obtain permission from private property owners since the dump site could only be accessed through their land. He also notified the Corps of Engineers.

Park Ranger Don Alexander said the corps coordinated the cleanup effort using a borrowed Kawasaki Mule, an off-road utility vehicle with a large cargo capacity. The Barren County Road Department was &#8220gracious enough” to dispose of the tires, he said.

If the corps has to regularly devote manpower to cleanups, it’s going to affect regulation of public parks in the long run. The corps’ budget has already been reduced in the past couple fiscal years due to Hurricane Katrina assistance and the help it provides rebuilding pipelines and other structures in Iraq, he said.

&#8220This is public land for everyone. It doesn’t mean they have the right to abuse it by dumping trash on it,” Alexander said.

Waste eventually affects drinking water the lake supplies to Allen and Barren residents. It also feeds into Bowling Green and all points south, he said.

&#8220There’s no countywide pickup. People either have to dispose of (tires) by paying somebody or they dispose of it (illegally),” Alexander said.

It’s a violation to bring any household or commercial garbage, debris, dead animals or litter of any kind for disposal, according to rules governing the corps’ water resources.

&#8220This is a federal misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $5,000 and no more than six months of incarceration,” Alexander said, noting the violation can become a felony in extreme situations.

However, he said the corps would rather not fight the issue from a law-enforcement standpoint.

As a public entity, Alexander said it’s the corps’ responsibility to educate the public about the effects of pollution. That education is disseminated through school programs, organized ecology meets and to campers at the lake.

Alexander invited the public – the best ally in combating illegal dumps, he said – to report any information they have about the recent tire dump or others on government land to the corps. A new hotline number was set up this summer for information that can lead to the prosecution of crimes against the corps’ property.

– To report illegal dumping, call (866) 413-7970. The corps offers up to a $1,000 reward and callers may remain anonymous.