DOES THE UNIVERSITY OF NEW

MEXICO DUCK POND ADEQUATELY

ACCOMMODATE THE WILDLIFE IT
INHABITS?

AUTUMN ALLEN
Dr. Ying Xu
English 219-010
Analytical Report, Spring 2018
 2

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction………………………………………………………………………………..……... 3
Methodology………………………………………………………………………………….... 3-4
Results…………………………………………………………………………………………. 4-7
History and Construction of The Duck Pond…………………………………………...4-5
Figure 1…………………………………………………………………………... 5
Pond Maintenance and Oversight……………………………………………………… 5-6
Figure 2. …………………………………………………………………………. 6
Federal & State Guidelines for Ponds and Wildlife Accommodation…………………... 7
Discussion of Results………………………………………………………………………….. 7-8
Conclusion and Recommendations………………………………………………………………. 8
References……………………………………………………………………………………....... 9
 3

INTRODUCTION

A serene park filled with grassy hills and a pond flourishing with various aquatic species
resides central to the University of New Mexico’s campus. This site is a popular, beloved area
known by most university-goers, and is a conveniently located place to study and relax. This
area, known as ‘The Duck Pond,’ was originally designed to be “central park,” with little to no
plans of ducks making it their home. Shortly after its upheaval, however, wild ducks began to
migrate to the pond, and people of the city conveniently dropped off their unwanted pet ducks
who made permanent residence at the pond (Trout). Personal eye-witness accounts of injured, ill
wildlife at the pond receiving no help or attention, alongside reports of miscellaneous plastic
garbage (such as shopping carts) being found in the pond waters (Stone). has raised concern as to
whether or not the ducks, turtles, fish, and other wildlife are properly cared and accommodated
for to ensure their wellbeing.
This report analyzes the university’s direct investment in the duck pond as it pertains to
the health and safety of the animals that consider the pond their home. This analysis includes
primary research into the architectural history of the duck pond, as well as an investigation of the
university departments and sectors in charge of overseeing the maintenance of the duck pond and
the ducks themselves. Furthermore, this report seeks to uncover UNM’s alignment with permits
and regulations as they pertain to the construction of ponds, and the subsequent oversight of
wildlife species that are abundantly present. The regulations explored will be those put forth by
governmental and reputable organizations tasked with conserving wildlife and ensuring their
preservation. The overall goal of this analysis is to reveal the consideration, or lack thereof, taken
in caring for the pond-dwelling animals in order to promote optimal tactics to be practiced by the
university in the future.

METHODOLOGY

STEP 1: Research the history and origin of the duck pond directly from UNM. Overview the
architectural background, building process, and intentions for the pond.
 4

STEP 2: Find out the department/sector responsible for information pertaining to the duck
pond: i.e. who is responsible for its cleaning, maintenance, and oversight of issues of
disease/sanitation/injury that may arise as a result of abundant animal-life. Research
relevant news stories pertaining to specific instances regarding the pond.
STEP 3: Research the requirements and guidelines set forth by the state and federal
governments pertaining to public ponds and wildlife preservation. Compare the
university’s actions and overall system with these guidelines, in addition to wildlife
regulations and conservation suggestions put forth by reputable wildlife organizations.

RESULTS

History and Construction of The Duck Pond

The University of New Mexico has been a thriving college campus since 1889.
Throughout the 1950s and 60s, in what may be known as the ‘post-war’ period, UNM’s student
population grew as the war subsided and soldiers returned home and began attending university
(Trout). This influx of people caused greater human traffic and posed a safety risk as Yale
boulevard and other roads ran straight through campus, in the area that we now know as the
Duck Pond. In response, the University recruited John Carl Warnecke and Associates to create
the ‘Warnecke Plan,’ which sought to expand the campus and create an environment that was
more suitable for students without interference of cars.
 5

Subsequently, landscape architect

Garrett Eckbo and his firm were hired to
design the pond in 1962. However, Eckbo
named this new area “Central Park,” and he
envisioned an oasis full of greenery and a vast
array of diverse shrubbery to be exhibited in
the area specifically for aesthetic purposes--- in
other words, the pond was not planned to
specifically accommodate ducks and other
wildlife that would soon flock to the pond and
establish their inhabitance there (Duck Pond
Figure 1. Figure 1. Concept sketch by lead architect Garrett Eckbo,
responsible for designing the area commonly known as 'The Duck Pond' Landscape). While research has failed to
(and formally as 'Central Park'), showing a small island within the pond
that may serve as a ramp for incoming ducks and other birds. Also noted
provide the original full floorplan of the central
that this design would aid in preventing erosion of the landscape.
park project, a brief sketch of Eckbo’s “duck
island” shows the extent of the team’s
consideration for the ducks that may visit the
Pond Maintenance and Oversight pond (figure 1).
The Physical Plant Department (PPD) Grounds and Landscaping sector is responsible for
overseeing the streets, sidewalks, water, and arboretum of the University’s campus. The duck
pond falls into this category and thus the PPD is in charge of maintaining the integrity of the
pond. Furthermore, the University Landscape Architect within the Planning, Design, and
Construction department works closely alongside the Physical Plant Department, and aims to
review campus design concepts and specifications, and uphold sustainability standards as well as
cost management (University Landscape Architect). The University Landscape Architect
provides an overview of popular campus sights, such as the pond, which includes a general
layout of the pond itself (figure 2).
Again, however, the ducks are only briefly mentioned as byproducts of the pond, and are
claimed to be accommodated for simply through the inclusion of small islands and “areas
protected by shrubbery” (Duck Pond Landscape). The websites for both of these departments
which claim primary oversight of the pond do not include any information regarding the safety
 6

standards of pond wildlife, nor any resources guiding people on what to do or who to contact in
case of disease, injury, or general insanitation.

Figure 2. Landscape plan of the Duck Pond provided by the University Landscape Architect, created in 2006 by Will Moses,
decades after the construction of the pond laid out by Eckbo's team in 1962 through 1976.

In my personal experience, after seeking help for an injured duck with a bloodied,
maggot-filled wing struggling to swim in the pond in the summer of 2017 on my own accord, the
private wildlife rehabilitation specialist I sought out informed me that she often received calls of
injured wildlife at the University pond, commonly as a result of dog attacks on campus.
Furthermore, she explained that employees of the university often brought in compromised
wildlife on their own behalf, with no compensation or accommodation on UNM’s part.
Every other year, the university conducts routine cleaning of the pond by lowering the
water level, capturing the wildlife and holding them in tanks of the Biology department within
Castetter Hall, and ridding of all the sludge, litter, and other various items that may have found
their way into the pond. During this process in 2015, shopping carts, old radios, chairs, and even
a bowling ball and mannequin were found in the pond’s depths (Stone). According to the
Physical Plant Department, this routine is carried out every couple of years in order to
accommodate the overpopulation of ducks that reside on campus, as a result of people dropping
off domesticated ducks that are likely their unwanted pets.
 7

Federal & State Guidelines for Ponds and Wildlife Accommodation

The Army Corps of Engineers Regulatory Program seeks to protect the country’s aquatic
resources when it comes to the construction of ponds, docks, excavation, roads, and other various
infrastructure developments. They require the submittal and review of permit requests as they
pertain to water sources under the jurisdiction of the Army Corps. Although permits are usually
required for the construction of ponds, a permit is not required for ‘excavation only’ ponds.
Thus, UNM was/is not required to submit a permit for the existence of the pond.
While the University of New Mexico provides an arboretum that features plaques
recognizing and honoring the various plant species present across campus and specifically at the
duck pond, there is no documentation providing knowledge of the various animal species that
reside at the pond. The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service requires specific permits for various
activities involving the existence of wildlife on public and private grounds. The Migratory Bird
Treaty Act of 1918 sets forth guidelines for the possession, sale and purchase, importation, and
exportation of numerous migratory birds, which includes a vast array of duck species (Migratory
Bird Treaty Act). Under this act, the aforementioned actions concerning these birds are illegal
unless a permit for such activities is obtained. Because the University of New Mexico does not
provide information regarding the bird species that inhabit the duck pond, it is unknown and
furthermore unlikely that the appropriate permits have been obtained in accordance with this act
and any others

DISCUSSION OF RESULTS

There is a lack of public information pertaining to the permittance, maintenance,

possession, and overall safety and oversight of the wildlife (such as the ducks, turtles, and fish)
residing at the university duck pond. The University of New Mexico provides the architectural
and construction history of the pond, however, the animals that inevitably flocked to this area
flourishing with surface water and greenery are rarely mentioned, nor are they thoroughly
accounted for or even considered in the building plans. Furthermore, there are no resources
provided by the university that entail how injury, disease, and insanitation of these species are
(or should be) addressed. It is clear that routine drainage and cleaning of the pond is required due
 8

to the constant accumulation of sludge, litter, and unwanted items that inevitably compromise the
integrity of the pond. While UNM acknowledges the overpopulation of ducks due to students
and other people near the university area dropping off unwanted domesticated pet ducks year-
round in addition to the migration of wild ducks that inhabit the pond throughout various times
of year, they fail to expand further on this problem and address what could be done in order to
protect these animals and ensure a cleaner environment for them as well as for the students.
Because the university pond is an excavation only pond and does not draw from water
sources owned by the government (i.e. the Rio Grande River), UNM does not require a permit
from the Army Corps of Engineer to own and operate the pond. Furthermore, because the pond
was not originally intended to be for the vast array of species including ducks that now
permanently inhabit the pond, there is no formal documentation of the exact species that reside at
the pond, and therefore it is unclear what specific permits or wildlife acts the pond may be in
violation of.

CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Overall, there is not only a lack of information provided by the University of New
Mexico when it comes to the campus duck pond, but a lack of forward-thinking action that
addresses the obvious overpopulation and sanitation issues it is facing. Furthermore, there is a
constant inevitable threat of disease and injury that may be experienced by these animals, and
consequently may extend to the students and faculty of the university. It is vital that more
information and resources are provided formally by the university and expressed to the students
and other university-goers in an easily accessible manner. Establishing a system that considers
the animals of the duck pond and their wellbeing, rather than simply acknowledging them as an
inevitable by-product of the beauty that the pond landscape provides will allow for a better-
thriving environment, and propel the University of New Mexico forward as a sustainable,
environmentally friendly campus.
 9

REFERENCES

“Laws/Treaties/Regulations.” Permits, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, www.fws.gov/permits/.

“Migratory Bird Treaty Act.” Laws/Legislation, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service,
www.fws.gov/birds/policies-and-regulations/laws-legislations/migratory-bird-treaty-
act.php.
Moxey, Mike. Permitting Recreational Ponds. US Army Corps of Engineers, July 2011,
www.aces.edu/ucf/documents/MikeMoxeyUSACOEPondPermitting.pdf
“Permits & Licenses.” New Mexico Environment Department Hazardous Waste Bureau, New
Mexico Environment Department, www.env.nm.gov/permits-and-licenses/.
Stone, Rachel. “Duck Pond Cleaning Reveals Interesting Items.” UNM Newsroom, The
University of New Mexico, Mar. 2015.
Trout, Lindsey. “Duck Pond Case Study.” Albuquerque Modernism, University of New Mexico,
albuquerquemodernism.unm.edu/wp/duck-pond-unm/.
“The University Landscape Architect.” Planning, Design, and Construction, University of New
Mexico, pdc.unm.edu/strategic-leadership/university-landscape-architect/index.html
University Planning, Design, & Construction. Duck Pond Landscape. Duck Pond Landscape,
University of New Mexico, http://pdc.unm.edu/strategic-leadership/university-landscape-
architect/HeritageZone-Duck.pdf

INTRODUCTION