Gov't Gives Ducklings Little Ramps So They Can Climb Into Reflecting Pool

They can follow their parents now and don't have to stay behind.

Finally, news out of Washington, D.C., we can all get behind.

This week, the federal agency charged with maintaining and preserving the grounds of Capitol Hill unveiled two rather adorable new pieces of infrastructure — designed specifically to make life easier for little ducklings.

Architect of the Capitol

Thanks to the addition of a pair of duck ramps, newly hatched ducklings can now join their parents who've taken up residence in the Capitol Reflecting Pool, on the National Mall. The ramps were designed by the Architect of the Capitol (AOC), in partnership with the nonprofit City Wildlife, to help the feathered babies get up and over a wall that's too high for them to jump.

"The broad gently sloped limestone coping of the pool, however, has an unintended side effect for our feathered friends," the AOC's Erin Courtney said in a release. "Some ducklings have trouble climbing out of the pool or returning to it once out of the water."

Thanks to the new ramps, that's all a thing of the past.

While the initiative has been met with resounding praise, at least one U.S. congressman has spoken out against it, calling the new ramps an example of "government waste."

The cost of the ramps' construction has not been disclosed, but given that such a simple design is making life better for a few local ducklings, it was most certainly worth it.