Ducks rest on the ice-covered pond at the Duck Pond Car Wash, an institution in Eagle River. Reports that the ducks are not being fed and are dying are simply not true, said car wash owners Brad and Tanya Gamble. PHOTO BY ANDY HALL

Rumors are fluttering about town that the ducks are being starved to death at the duck pond located behind the Eagle River Car Wash.

We've heard them too; from a concerned grandmother who was afraid to take her granddaughter to the pond in fear she might have to explain a dead duck; from an Anchorage Assembly member, who wanted to ensure one of the community's treasures was not spiraling out of control; and the second- or third-hand talk of ducks eating dead ducks to stay alive.

The truth: The ducks are fine, according to duck pond and car wash owner Brad Gamble.

"One thing people need to understand is that all the ducks that use the pond are wild," he said. "The only animals we feed regularly are the three domestic geese we have. The other ducks and water fowl have always been left to fend for themselves or to feed off the scraps left by visitors to the pond."

Larry Thomas, who purchased the car wash when he moved to Eagle River in 1969, expanded the facility over the years and eventually developed the duck pond that became a local icon and tourist attraction over the years.

Thomas made the pond by lining a water hole with boulders he removed from the property as he expanded the carwash from two bays to eight. Then in 1979 the state of Alaska began bringing little ducks and chicks after Easter and Thomas said, "I'd take them all."

For the next 15 years he took in animals and soon the legend of the duck pond grew. Often putting out more than 100 pounds of food a day during the winter to keep all the birds satisfied.

Brad and Tanya Gamble have owned the car wash and duck pond since 2004 and have cared for the flock of domesticated birds since. A population that once included peacocks, geese and several chickens and roosters has shrunk over the years.

"The number of birds we keep has gone down over the years," Brad Gamble said. "Especially since we decided to sell the property. As the birds we cared for died off we didn't replace them. Plus we're not sure whoever purchased the property will want to take on providing for the birds."

Gamble broke the ice that formed on the pond recently, providing the birds access to the water, which also serves as a supply for the neighboring car wash.

"It's important for us to keep the water open," he said. "Even in the cold winter months, the geese like the water."

While most of the birds that frequent the duck pond are wild, the handful of domestic animals were often dropped off by residents.

"We're not a pet or bird rescue, but people keep bringing us animals," he said. "Recently someone tried to drop off a wounded duck they found in their yard thinking we'd take care of it. That's not what we do."

Gamble referred the family with the wounded duck to the Bird Treatment and Learning Center, where the bird could receive the proper care.

That hasn't stopped the Gambles from taking in a stray bird or two over the years.

"I think all of our geese were dropped off or given to us," he said. "We enjoy them and have provided them the best care possible over the years."

The future of the duck pond is uncertain. A sale of the land would mean the new owner would decide its fate. For now, the Gamble's are feeding the geese and tossing some food in the direction of the wild ducks and other birds in the area.

"There will be birds here for a long time," Gamble said. "Mainly because the majority of the pond is on state-owned land, but also because people come down here in the summer and feed them, so the birds keep coming back every year."

Reach the reporter at darrell.breese.@alaskastar.com.