Remember the Oregon story of teenagers rallying to prevent beavers from being killed along their local creek in Newberg Oregon? It had all the makings of a successful beaver story en vitro, so I made sure to write the media, city council and public works folks about better options than trapping and why they were worth doing. I got a very nice response from a councilwoman, a very flippant response from public works and no response at all from the columnist. Turns out he was busy closely reading the articles I sent. I was happily surprised with this:
Beaver believers urge mitigation for local population
Wildlife lovers recommend ways to keep Sheridan Street culvert clear without trapping
After the city of Newberg Public Works Department reversed its decision to trap beavers on Chehalem Creek, supporters and detractors of the animals are making their voices heard.
“I am the primary property owner where the damage is occurring,” said Sheridan Street resident Terry Carlson. “The beavers are taking tree after tree from my property that is costing me in devaluation — (and) it is causing an erosion issue and cleanup costs.”
“Trapping beavers is a problem-solving tool that lasts a season,” argued California wildlife activist Heidi Perryman, whose group, “Worth A Dam,” seeks to spread word on humane methods of beaver control. To prevent blocked culverts, other municipalities have erected “beaver deceivers,” or fencing arranged in a trapezoidal shape along both stream banks and across the channel to deny beavers access to the culvert itself, and catch debris from upstream. Flooding from beaver dam failure can also be controlled by creating a culvert in the dam itself — a section of 10-inch flexible tubing run underneath the dam, its upstream end screened to prevent blockage.
“This allows the culvert to be protected and the beavers to build habitat for wildlife, which is what they do best,” Perryman said. “Beavers are a keystone species and an investment in your wetlands. In fact, NOAA (the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) fisheries report that they are essential in creating habitat for juvenile salmonids.”
Perryman provided a 2006 report from the Virginia Department of Transportation to city officials. Not only are beaver to be found in “the Old Dominion,” but they are equally prone to plugging culverts as their West Coast brethren. After suffering $145,000 in flood damage that year at 14 such sites, Virginia transportation officials trapped the beaver for an additional $6,000 — only to see the sites resettled the following year.
After investing a total of $44,526 in flow control devices, beaver-related road repairs dropped to zero at the 14 sites in question, with maintenance of the devices costing about $276 per year. “For every $1 spent, VDOT saved $ 8.37,” the report concluded.
“Flow devices are the proper solution,” fellow beaver supporter Dr. Rick Lanman added. “Killing or relocating will fail as the beaver will recolonize. The flow device option is by far the cheapest anyway.”
Now THAT’s what I call a happy ending! Ohhh wait there’s more – from the May Editorial.
A hearty ‘hear-hear’ to the Newberg public works department for taking a step back in the drive to eradicate beavers from a stretch of Chehalem Creek near West Sheridan Street. The department originally dispatched a trapper to rid the waterway of the rodents, who were blocking an important culvert with a dam. The department has been approached by a national group about erecting “beaver deceivers” to protect the culvert while sparing the critters. We’re all for that because, after all, the beaver is the symbol of our state and the mascot for one of our favorite college teams.
National Group? Well I guess we are at that, having officially affected the outcome of beavers in Alaska, Oregon, Wisconsin, Chicago, New Jersey, Georgia and Washington. Don’t forget Ontario. Does that make us International? Gosh. Close the curtains. I’m blushing.
