San Gabriel River becomes a deathbed for ducks

The deaths of at least 50 ducklings in the San Gabriel River that occurred because regulating the waterflow sometimes dries up the waterway, have raised questions about how to protect nature in an urban water system. The Times' Louis Sahagun reports:

What had been for the last six months a vibrant stream teeming with migrating waterfowls and shorebirds early last week became a dry San Gabriel River channel where vultures gorged themselves on ducklings that died when the flows dried up.

The discovery prompted calls for an investigation into the deaths of at least 20 cinnamon teal ducklings, 10 mallard ducklings and 20 adult mallards that had sought refuge in a shrinking pool of water in a concrete basin just south of Valley Boulevard in the city of Industry.

Civil engineers for the Los Angeles County Department of Public Works -- Adam Walden, above right, and Sterling Klippel -- "expressed regret that the birds died but pointed out that their mission is to maintain a complex water system for millions of people county-wide, not to protect ducklings."

-- Tony Barboza

Photo: Brian Vander Brug / Los Angeles Times

Comments

[Rochelle]

Although the LA County Dpt of Public Works have a job to do and money to make, the comment from Mssrs Walden & Klippel does irk me. In this day and age of environmental uncertainty, they should be considering a solution to either re-locate the fowl or provide them with a safe habitat, not simply say "it's not our problem" and walk away. Not a good look fellas!

[jamesincalifornia]

I strongly disagree with Mssrs Walden & Klippel. Their mission should be "to maintain a complex water system for millions of people," I agree; but it should also be to protect wildlife insofar as possible. The Department of Public Works made no attempt whatsoever to save the lives of these birds and their defenseless babies. I am appalled by such callous disregard.

[acc]

Alll life matters and if this is the attitude of Adam Walden and Steling Klippel then the future of the environment is dubious. This situation could have been an easy fix by relocating the ducks to another location. Instead they suffered a horrible death because of the nonconcern of Messrs. Walden and and Klippel. If they can't handle a few ducks then they can't handle the water system - it goes with the territory. Not good at all. Animal rights orgs - where are you?

[russell]

How can you seperate man from nature? Who could not have seen this coming? They had better welcome the arrival of nature back to cities, and update the job description.

[Dubby]

"We're the good guys. If not for this operation, the entire southern reach of this river would be dry as a desert. So when people ask, 'What about the ducks?' I tell them we're providing a quasi-refuge."

I don't think so. What LADPW is doing is creating is a sink. They release water from the dams, attract wildlife and then pull the plug. Even an engineer should be able to see the cause and effect here.