We haven’t talked much recently about mundane beaver issue that predictably get written about in October – you know the culverts being blocked and the bridges being flooded. Suffice it to say that beavers are still as persistent and city council members are still clueless.
Honestly, the course unfolding in Berlin Pennsylvania or Farmington Maine is so predictable I should honestly do a mad lib series about it. Maybe that would be fun.
I can’t bring myself to go through the whole tired story again, but just assume they’re out there – even with the wonders of Ben’s book in fricking national geographic. The say “Oh no! Beavers? How destructive! How ever shall we manage to trap them quickly enough?”
Here’s a snippet
Next stop NYC, Berlin vs. beavers
The problem is a beaver dam that has water backed up to within inches of bridge height. If the water level reaches the bridge deck from a stream already swollen by heavy rains, it will force immediate closure of the bridge and could trap drivers attempting to cross it, or even sweep vehicles off it. Roadmasters Rob Mahon and Charlie Gries discussed the logistics of using heavy equipment to remove the dam while working in water up to 15 feet deep in spots.
It’s not the first time beavers have dammed a Berlin stream. And it’s not the first time Berlin roadmasters have removed a beaver dam threatening a road or bridge. But this time the water level, and the stakes, are higher. And the problem will be fixed only when the PA Fish and Game Commission or another wildlife authority finds out if trapping and relocating the beavers is a viable option.
Let me end your suspense. No. Relocating beaver is at the end of October in Pennsylvania is not an option. Of course you could install a flow device and prevent the flooding for the next decade like a sensible city, but I can tell that’s not in your wheelhouse.
So sure, just call the trapper or whatever.
Beavers building dams, plugging culverts raise concerns of flooding in Farmingdale
FARMINGDALE — A population of pesky beavers on Northern Avenue could flood a section of the road if not removed quickly, town officials said Wednesday.
“The situation right there is getting worse every day,” Road Commissioner Steve Stratton said at Wednesday’s Board of Selectmen meeting. “You’ve got a large beaver house above Northern Avenue and there are two or three dams.”
He has been clearing regularly a 24-inch culvert that the brook runs through under Northern Avenue, Stratton said, but the beavers keep clogging it up. He said they even reused the material that he has removed from the culvert to seal it back up.
Stratton expressed concern that the road could become flooded if the beavers were not relocated or discouraged from damming. The water level on Wednesday was about 6 feet lower than the crest of the road, but Stratton said levels could rise quickly if left unattended.
Of course you’ve been digging out the culvert every few days. Of course you’re worried about flooding and are going to call in the trappers. Because what else could you possibly do? It’s not like blocked culverts are THE most reliably solved beaver issue in the entire world or anything.
Sheesh
Kemper said the department will trap and relocate beavers if the problem is caught early in the year. Beavers tend to lodge for long periods of time in the winter in their homes, so they need an appropriate amount of time to settle in a new area. If there is a problem later in the season — and the problem is severe enough — beavers could be killed and removed.
Oops too late. I’m sure you planned it that way.
I’m too old to go to hold your hand and walk you to your first day at beaver preschool. Instead I want to stay in my imaginary college campus where people already know these things. I want to show you something I think is really special. I’ve been working on this for three days straight, stripping out the audio from Ben Goldfarb’s West Linn Library presentation, cutting out the coughs or long pauses to get it down to 5 minutes limit on the free version, inserting sound effects where appropriate using another free audio program, and the stringing the whole thing together with visuals on Powtoon.
I admit, I’m pleased with the final product. Check it out.
If there’s another city where a graffiti artist randomly happens upon a family of beavers and is inspired to create art, I surely don’t know where it is. And honestly, you don’t either. I’m so glad that this engaging mural is getting the attention it deserves.
The North American beaver is a keystone species whose activities promote ecological biodiversity across the landscape. Beaver dams help improve water quality by reducing sediment and nutrient flow to downstream sources, creates wetlands and enhances wildlife habitat.
the only available option to mitigate potential beaver problems. By working with researchers and experts from around the US, we are able to offer an ecologically friendly beaver management solution by designing and installing custom flow devices (i.e. beaver deceivers) and culvert exclusion fences, providing a long term cost-effective solution. Ecotone installs flow devices to manage the size of the beaver pond, regulate water levels to desirable levels, and mitigate activity around culverts, while also keeping the dam, and the ecosystem services it provides. By working to co-exist with the beaver we can create a cascade of benefits to water quality and biodiversity. .
Ecotone has partnered with 
The 2018 Beaver Festival was remarkable in many ways. Located in historic Susana Park, the John Muir Association, Mountain day Camp and John Muir National Historic Site displays all nestled under the tall trees there. They were joined by some 50 environmental exhibits including NOAA fisheries, the Forest Service, the EBRP fish mobile, and the pipevine swallowtail project from the Academy of Sciences. Co-president Bruce Campbell and board member Lynn Quinones lit the stage with the popular Alhambra Valley Band to start the day of music and festivities. Beaver tours of the new habitat near the park delighted guests, and children were encouraged to earn wildlife stickers and create their own memorable “Beaver pond” to take home. 
For the first time, the event featured dynamic chalk artist Amy G. Hall of Napa who spent two days crafting a giant mural of a beaver pond and the wildlife it supports in the center of the plaza. A final dramatic first featured acclaimed environmental author Ben Goldfarb, who launched his new book by signing copies and reading aloud the Martinez chapter on stage. In addition to earning praise in National Geographic, Ben’s work has captured the attention of Science magazine, NPR, Audubon and the Washington Post, meaning the story of the Martinez beavers coming to John Muir’s home town has been proudly carried alongside its wake.
Researchers are taking to Twitter to tell the world about their research through the lines of haiku. Now it’s your turn!
