Category: Who’s Killing Beavers Now?

Balking at Beavers

Well it turns out 2015 looks a lot like 2014. At least for beavers. There familiar whinging from the UK this morning about the risk of letting the animals vandalize the waterways after 500 years of peace.

Farmers’ fears as beavers make a comeback across the British countryside

Wildlife groups back the return of the aquatic mammals, which manage the landscape by cutting down trees and damming rivers, for the benefit they can provide in preventing flooding, maintaining water quality and boosting other wildlife.

But farmers and anglers have raised concerns that they can damage the landscape and fish migration routes, and conservation efforts should be focused on the UK’s existing wildlife.

Despite the concerns it appears that the beaver, which was hunted to extinction by the 16th century, could once again become a permanent feature of waterways in England, Scotland and Wales, as they have across Europe.

“Much of the rest of Europe lives alongside this species and benefits from them as par-excellence water engineers, helping water quality and in some cases flood alleviation. We think they have a role to play in the modern countryside.”

But National Farmers’ Union countryside adviser Claire Robinson said: “We believe efforts, and finances, would be better focused on retaining current biodiversity.

“We are against the reintroduction of European beavers to the countryside because they could potentially cause long-term economic and physical impacts on the English landscape, including flood risk or, crucially, potential for disease transmission.”

She added that the current legal framework was not robust enough to allow effective management of beavers in the landscape, and warned there were too many issues that needed to be addressed before reintroduction could be considered.

Mark Lloyd, chief executive of the Angling Trust, said Britain’s river systems had changed dramatically since beavers died out, and suffered from endemic pollution, over-abstraction of water and more than 20,000 dams which act as barriers to fish migration.

“Fewer than 25% of England and Wales’ rivers are in good ecological condition and the Angling Trust’s view is that it would be irresponsible even to consider reintroducing this species into the wild without first restoring our rivers to good health by tackling low flows, pollution and removing the vast majority of man-made barriers to fish migration,” he said.

That’s right, first fix ALL our rivers, take out every obstacle and improve each drop of water quality and then we’ll talk about beaver reintroduction. It’s a perfect delay tactic, not only because it will never happen, but also because even if it does happen. once all the rivers are fixed, England won’t NEED beavers and the primary argument for their restoration potential will be moot. In the mean time,beavers could spread disease! Let’s worry about that!

(And kill cows.)

Last night was the seventh (?) annual Worth A Dam Ravioli feed, and the guests were cheerful, determined and triumphant. Jon’s hardworking chef techniques kept everyone amazed and we welcomed some new faces to our stalwart regulars. Riley said that the waterboard talk had been game changing, and she wanted to work to arrange one for Fish and Game. (!) FRO boldly accepted the canvas to prepare for this years art project, and Cheryl made amazing wildlife cards from her photos that should become our marketing idea this year. Deidre talked about arranging another guided train tour to the festival, and we mulled the idea of even coming from another direction. After it was all over. I heard from one guest the very best rumor that I have heard in the history of beavers, but I’ll keep it to myself until it substantiates.

Lets just say that the evening was a grand success.

Ohio in a whole new light…

heidi08 Beaver-themed merchandise, Beavers elsewhere, Who's Killing Beavers Now?, Who's saving beavers now? December 23, 2014

Okay, remember all the unkind things I said about Ohio’s attitudes towards beavers? Well I take it back…most of it. Just look at this article out of the Telegraph Forum.

Overeager beaver causes big headache at Ohio park

MASON – City officials here are grappling with a gnawing problem: a bothersome beaver who’s made his home at Pine Hill Lakes Park.

Officials say the beaver has been, well, busy as a beaver gnawing away at 52 trees and felling three others lining the park’s bike path and lake.

What the beaver sees as a smorgasbord city officials see as a health and safety risk.

Other wildlife experts warn that simply killing the flat-tailed, buck-toothed pest isn’t a quick fix and that more might come in its place.

“They can kill 10 beavers and 10 more will come in their place because that’s what the habitat will support,” said Mary Carrelli, president of Second Chance Wildlife Rescue, a nonprofit organization that promotes wildlife education, conservation and rehabilitation.

Carrelli said a better – and more humane – solution may be to simply drive the beaver out naturally through the use of alternative methods, such as fencing off or wrapping trees with inexpensive plastic tubing.

For dam-related issues, a pipe can be placed within the dam to allow for water flow while allowing the beaver to build its structure around it – an approach also recommended by the Humane Society of the United States.

Merry Christmas to you too, Ohio! I never imagined I’d read about a flow device and wrapping trees from the The Buckeye State. Gosh, I guess old dogs really can learn new tricks. Now let’s see of I can.

The Beaver Believers just mailed out their kickstarter campaign gifts. Jon and I got a lovely pair of beaver beer mugs that we will toast on many an occasion. If you need a last minute gift idea for that beaver-lover on your list their shop is open for business here.

Beavers Across the land

heidi08 Beaver Behavior, Creative Solutions, Who's Killing Beavers Now?, Who's saving beavers now? December 13, 2014

Danvers SwampWalk under water

The problem is not with the walkway sinking into the muck, said George Saluto, a former Conservation Commission member who was the driving force behind the SwampWalk.

Instead, beaver activity, a surge of rainfall and a stretch of boardwalk built slightly lower than the rest of the lumber pathway has led to its being submerged

Two families of beavers have been building dams and blocking culverts and outflows, raising the level of the swamp, Saluto said. The southern section of the walkway was built, he added, when the area was not getting a lot of rain.

“We are off on a new adventure,” Saluto said. “We are simply responding to a very productive — two very productive — families of beavers.

Well, there you have it. Yet another beaver bemoaning story out of Danvers MA, who brought us so many greatest hits this year, like the beaver they trapped but weren’t allowed to remove, and the huge developer who wanted everything but the beavers.

Now beavers (and rain and snow) are raising the water level and flooding parts of their swamp path. I guess they have two lodges so they’re sure its two families, although that would be very, very remarkable. Research tells us that different families need their own territory of at least 2 miles, but if the habitat’s very very rich, like those beavers in the far reaches of Canada who built the dam visible from space, they will share.

Gee, do you think this is extraordinary habitat? Or do you think they possibly got it wrong?

It took 10 years to plan, three years to build, and the collaboration of two towns. The walkway allows visitors to walk into the middle of the swamp, providing views of plants, birds, turtles and beaver dams that can’t be seen from the rail trail. There’s an observation deck with seating, too. A grand opening was held in May 2013.

When volunteers first started the northern section of the SwampWalk in 2010, the rainfall in March, April and May was 20 inches, Saluto said. Before the group started the southern section in 2012, the rainfall in February, March and April was 7 inches.

In the past three months, however — even before this week’s rainfall — Danvers received 13 inches of rain, Saluto said, 6 more than when the southern walkway was constructed. The southern section was built slightly lower than the northern section.

Instead of trying to install beaver deceivers, devices that allow water to flow through beaver dams and keep beavers at bay, the SwampWalk team has decided to raise the walkway’s elevation.

Well that’s interesting. I mean why protect the culverts when you have the money to rebuild the entire walkway? Why fix a flat when you can afford a whole new car? I would ask what they plan to do when the water level rises higher still, maybe because of the next 13 inches of rain or the beaver dam that blocks the culvert, but I won’t bother. I know what they’ll do. They’ll say “We tried a 6000 solution to save the beavers but that didn’t work, so we’re going to have to kill them.” Let’s mark our calendars. I think it will happen sometime in April 2015.

Got any spare change? They end the article with a request for donations.

Now we head west a bit across the United States for a story about beaver from Illinois, the state where the 84 year old man was hit in the head with a log after blowing up a beaver dam. IL has never been a hot bed of progressive beaver understanding. I believe I once said of them

“Remember this is Illinois where a cynical person might say you could fit all their beaver appreciation and knowledge into a teaspoon and still have room leftover to sweeten your coffee”

So it’s nice to read at least a benevolent article about beaver from the state.

Trail leads to adventure

Not long ago, I was set for a nice long hike in a nearby park to work off stresses. I had my binoculars, camera, and a little snack to enjoy along the way.

At the trailhead is a small creek that runs underneath a rock outcropping. No sooner had I entered the trail, when I observed a newly-constructed beaver dam on the creek. I paused to take a look at it. This led to following a few of the “beaver runs” away from the stream to the trees they gnawed.

I thought to myself that I should take a few pictures of the beaver dam, runs, and gnawed trees to go into the Lowell Park Nature Center. We have a beaver lodge there for children to explore. I thought I might construct a photo montage of beaver activity.

The article goes on to describe his watching deer and woodpeckers. What do you wanna bet that the next time he visits that beaver pond he’ll see more wildlife? If it’s still there he will.

Beaver Friends & Foe

heidi08 Beavers elsewhere, City Reports, Who's Killing Beavers Now?, Who's saving beavers now? December 4, 2014

brockkate — Brock Dolman & Kate Lundquist

KRCB is the local public radio station in Sonoma and yesterday it featured beaver friends Kate Lundquist and Brock Dolman from the Occidental Arts and Ecology Center. Click and listen to three and a half minutes of beaver praises. The photo is from our fifth beaver festival in 2012. (You can tell by Bob Rust’s giant inflatable beaver in the background!)

I love when beaver benefits are extolled on the air waves! Great work team beaver! (Although I’m not totally sure the west coast is without its own dramatic examples of cities living with beaver. Ahem.)

Yesterday saw some heavy, heavy rains in Martinez. So heavy that we were worried that filter had been knocked off the flow device again. Jean saw a confused beaver swimming at high tide during the day, probably when his bank hole was filled with water. But by afternoon the level was back down and we could see that the filter had not moved, and there was a huge snag on one of the stabilizing posts holding the pipe that we thought was the filter. The dam had been breached by the heavy flow. And more rain came later at night. In weather like this we’ve seen the beavers sit tight and wait for the excitement to be over before they begin repairs. Stay tuned.

As if to compensate for our worry yesterday, there was this headline from Ohio which provided us with the warm feeling one needs in terrible weather. Maybe it will warm you too. And it might be time for a German lesson.

Worker injured removing beaver dams near Hinckley

An 84-year-old man struck in the head with a log while blowing up beaver dams Tuesday remained in serious condition Wednesday at a Rockford hospital, DeKalb County Sheriff’s Chief Deputy Gary Dumdie said.

Ivan Dremann of Ohio, Illinois, was using explosives to remove beaver dams from Little Rock Creek for a farmer on Lee Road west of Rimsnider Road northwest of Hinckley about 4:10 p.m. Tuesday, according to a DeKalb County Sheriff’s news release.

Ouch. This is a very good time to observe that I don’t believe a person of any age was ever injured installing a flow device.

scha·den·freu·de

German, from Schaden damage + Freude joy

“a feeling of enjoyment that comes from seeing or hearing about the troubles of other people”

Oh, what a relief it is!

heidi08 Beavers, Beavers and water, Beavers elsewhere, Creative Solutions, Educational, Environmental, Who's Killing Beavers Now? December 2, 2014

When I sat down with the numbers of depredation permits issued in California, one fact in particular kept catching my eye. The number of permits issued for Placer county. Contrary to expectation, it doesn’t have more water, or more people, or more culverts. It consists of seven towns (Auburn, Colfax, Lincoln, Roseville, Rocklin and Loomis) and about 20 unincorporated areas which all have more permission to kill beavers than anywhere else in the state. Nearly 7 times more, which turned out to be significant at the p =<.02 level. This, in case you didn’t take statistics, pretty much means it ain’t random.

So I thought I’d write the two charming representatives from Placer county who wrote them and say, hi my name’s Heidi and I’ve been looking at the depredation permits for beaver in California and I’m curious why you issued a third of them. Any thoughts? And I was more polite than I wanted to be, but still expected to hear nothing back.

To her credit, the most active member of the beaver-killing squad wrote back. She said Placer county has grown faster than any other region in the state, and permits to kill beavers are issued under 4181 which says that when property is damaged or (threatened)

The department, upon satisfactory evidence of the damage or destruction, actual or immediately threatened, shall issue a revocable permit for the taking and disposition of the mammals under regulations adopted by the commission.

She said we assess the situation and educate where we can and grant permits when necessary. What she did not say, and which I was dying to know, is what consisted of satisfactory evidence (a site visit? A photo? A phone call?) and how often did she actually turn down the request, telling the property owner to try something else?

(I’m guessing it’s a round number.)

She also thanked me for the resources I sent but said she already knew all about “beaver relievers” [sic] (Cross my heart – RELIEVERS she called them.) And I was sure it was a typo, or an UH-OH, but when I wrote Sherry Guzzi she pointed me to this paper by Colorado USDA scientist Nicholas Gerich, who (back in 2003) wrote a paper called “Working with beavers”, in which he outlines the pros and cons of several flow devices which he calls (wait for it!) “beaver relievers.”

YOU WILL ALWAYS HAVE TO DO REGULAR MAINTANCE!

Many of these solutions work well only if regularly cleaned. When these devices are not regularly inspected and maintained, they will fail with potentially disastrous results. Too many people think that once the device is installed that everything is solved and they can walk away from it.

It seems Nick was not very impressed with their success rate and said they had to be onerously maintained to even have a hope of working. But given his location I was curious if he’d ever met Sherri Tippie so I emailed him and asked. He said he had taken a class with Sherri shortly before that was written, and had gotten interested in the work when the beaver population “exploded” after the 1996 law. (Deja Vu much?)

In his experience flow devices “worked in some places” but “not in others”.

Now I know exactly how much maintenance our flow device has required, (none) but I didn’t know if it might have worked less well in Tahoe or Colorado, so I asked Mike and Skip. I particularly liked what Skip said,

As for the “physics” of the issue, beaver behavior and the properties of moving water are largely the same everywhere.

Now as to that exploding beaver population, I was particularly interested since I had learned that very refrain in Massachusetts many times. You can imagine how happy I was to see this in the paper yesterday from the Prescott Peninsula beaver count

The beavers are all right: Data returned from survey at restricted Prescott Peninsula

Researchers from the Department of Conservation and Recreation, along with affiliated volunteers, conducted the annual Prescott beaver survey Nov. 16 at the Prescott Peninsula — an area usually off-limits to humans. The survey data, which was compiled last week, shows 15 active inland beaver sites.

And they ran this:

I know graphs can be hard to read, but that high pointy part on the left shows the highest density of recorded beaver population in 1980. For us following along at home that was 16 years before voters insisted on those pesky humane traps. The population went up a little after 1996 but settled out with much lower levels than it used to support. Mind you this is just a particularly lush, inaccessible region in the state. Not the whole state. But knowing how beavers feel about trees, water and privacy we can guess its at least equivalent to what we would see all over if anyone was looking. Which means that every single person who tells you that the population of beavers exploded after they made conibear traps harder to use, should look behind them to see if their pants are on fire:

BECAUSE THEY’RE LYING.

112014_Beaver-590x398 — Glass Farm Beaver YS Ohio – photo Scott Stolensberg

A final update from the photographer Scott Stolensberg who graciously gave permission for me to use the photo and was so supportive he wants to donate to the silent auction! Thanks Scott!