A stormwater basin in Albuquerque, New Mexico, became a makeshift habitat for frogs, turtles, and even beavers. That is until maintenance crews nearly turned the spot deadly, neighbors claim.
Here's what to know
Albuquerque animal advocate Brit Walters told KOB 4 that animals had been living in pooled water inside a retention basin before she and other advocates saw crews pushing sand into it.
"They were burying them alive. We watched tadpoles and frogs and turtles get buried," Walters said.
The work was being carried out by the Albuquerque Metropolitan Arroyo Flood Control Authority. AMAFCA's director of operations and maintenance said the basin is a trash rack meant to catch debris before stormwater reaches the Rio Grande. Crews usually service it about once a year, using dirt and sand to break up debris and then hauling the material away, KOB 4 reported.
What's being done?
Walters said she and friends began rallying online with social media posts to draw attention to the problem. After realizing the basin had become a place where wildlife was sheltering, the city and AMAFCA began working together to trap animals and move them to safer locations on city property, including ponds, KOB 4 reported.
The agency also said it plans to install drainage holes so the structure no longer holds standing water. Animal advocates have been helping with the rescue effort, and, according to KOB 4, neighbors created the La Orilla Advocacy Project website to monitor conditions at the basin.
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"It's my job and others who care about animals to speak up for them when they can't do it for themselves," Walters told the outlet. "They would have just buried all this, I think, if we wouldn't have come out here."
Where can I learn more?
What happened at the Albuquerque basin is one example of a bigger issue: wildlife getting trapped in built environments or pushed into dangerous places as habitats come under stress.
"This is the only home that they have left. This is what it's forced it into," Walters said.
The articles below look at similar situations involving storm drains, backyard hazards, invasive species, and damaged waterways — and the people who stepped in to take local action.
• In Bonita Springs, deputies save disoriented baby sea turtles from a storm drain trap.
• Across backyard gardens, experts say a small act of kindness can spare hedgehog families.
• At Ontario's Lake Aquitaine, a teenager made a surprising contribution against invasive species.
Each one is a reminder that places people barely notice — a drain, a garden, a neighborhood pond — can carry real consequences for animals. And as Albuquerque neighbors found, raising concerns early can make a real difference in what happens next.
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