SUMMERDALE, Ala. — Two deep retention ponds at the Magnolia Landfill near Summerdale are attracting more than runoff. The normally still waters have become the final stop for a few animals recently that have wandered into the pits and were unable to get out.

Bird watchers visiting the landfill recently spotted dog carcasses floating in the water there, and reportedly informed landfill employees about the problem. There is some speculation the animals might have been left at the Baldwin County Animal Shelter at night, but not put in outdoor drop-off cages at the facility’s roadside entrance.

Charlotte Plumb, environmental supervisor of the Baldwin County Health Department, who oversees animal shelter operations, said, “We’ve been in there in the past and fished out live animals, but haven’t heard of dead dogs in there.”

Resembling a drainage ditch and located behind a fence bordering the animal shelter property, the lined, quarter-acre pond is part of a leachate collection system, according to Jim Ransom, Baldwin County solid waste director. He said a similar half-acre pond catches runoff and filters it through natural wetlands before it flows into the smaller body of water.

Last Thursday, landfill employees rescued a dog from the upper pond, Ransom said. Entire litters of puppies have been found in the water there as well, he added. Steep sides and sometimes low water levels make it difficult for animals to escape.

Ransom said, “We drain it (the lower pond) once a quarter. It makes it harder to get out because it’s further to go.” He noted the water’s surface is normally six to eight feet below the rim of the pond, but can be as much as 25 feet if the pond has recently been drained.

In order to prevent dogs from being trapped in the pond closest to the animal shelter, Ransom said sod was installed in one corner a while back, creating a slope that might be easier for an animal to climb.

“I think people come up to the after-hours drop (at the animal shelter) and lose their nerve and just let them go,” Ransom said. “I don’t know that for sure.”

Some of the animals might also come from nearby homes. Dogs allowed to roam free could easily end up in one of the ponds.

Ransom said, “We’ve got it fenced around the dog pound. We might need to go back and see if we need to patch it up some.” A recent inspection by a reporter revealed no gaps in the fence row.

The ponds are a necessary evil, according to several online sources. Although the landfill is lined, rainwater can collect substances seeping from household waste not yet covered. The Magnolia Landfill’s leachate collection system helps prevent toxins from making their way into area waterways.

“Gravity causes water to flow through double pipes to the upper pond,” Ransom said. “It then runs through the constructed wetlands and goes through the lower pond. It recirculates continuously.”