One of the most effective subtle terrors in the movie Jurassic Park (which was a not at all subtle movie) was the way that the technology and gadgets designed to protect the visitors all ended up hurting them. From the vehicle slipping over the edge and barely missing the dangling children, to the boy getting hurled off an electric fence when the power went back on, the safety measures gradually became more perilous. The idea that technology can keep you safe was effectively challenged, while the idea that technology can invent things that place you in harms way, was proven again and again.
I mention this because yesterday the cables designed to “protect” the city from massive beaver-generated flooding, came loose from the dam and traveled downstream, snagging wood and debris in an ever growing dam of their very own. Remember these were initally installed in the dam with anchors so the entire structure could be ripped out if necessary in one heroic swoop. There had always been difficulty deciding where on the banks to place this special “bathtub plug”, and Skip’s flow device made it pretty much moot. The cables eventually tangled and worked themselves into chaos. But yesterday the churning waters forced them free and they snaked down stream to catch some action. By the noon the snag was two feet higher than the dam, and we starting to get worried that the problem might make city staff mistakenly blame the dam for the problem.
After hearing from jon that the snag was impossible to dislodge, I weighed my options carefully and called Councilman Mark Ross, letting him know what had happened and asking him to call public works and explain what it needed. To his credit, he left his office and went to the dam to see for himself. By this time the cables were no longer visible, but I assured him they had been reported that morning by to Worth A Dam members. Mark called Bob Cellini who came down with a de-snagging crew.
Worth A Dam was on hand to explain and ward off unwanted solutions, but they needn’t have been. Bob understood that the snag had nothing to do with the dam, and every effort was made to remove it without disruption to the structure. Some low branches were removed that were catching debris but the dam was untouched. To a man, staff was pleasant and protective about the beavers and gracious to Worth A Dam. The director was full of good will, and the city manager showed up as well, happy for the help and scowling at all the non-beaver trash that ends up in our creek.
As they worked tens of people showed up on the banks and bridges, (worried, as we had been worried), that they were “messin’ with” the dam. It was like that scene from witness where the entire town shows up over the line of the hill, coming to help. Worth A Dam did its best to calm their fears and clarify the problem. A single beaver emerged once to check what they were up to, but the entire event went peacefully. The “filter” or roundfence closing the entrance to the pipe had been tipped by the rain, and was also catching debris. They are reported going to try to right it tomorrow using a boat.
Several people remarked on what a different feel the day had. Staff was acting like the beavers were a resource to preserve, not a problem to be resisted. They seemed to think there were much larger problems than the dam all along the entire creek and be grateful for the supportive attention to this particular area. The entire event went as well as I could have possibly hoped, and, aside from feeling weirdly like Alice in wonderland, it was pretty cool.
Of course things could change in a heartbeat. (I dreamt last night they rode up to fix the filter on a jet ski.) But this morning I am still grateful for the hard work and good energy. Oh and just in case we didn’t learn enough yesterday, here’s a great picture that will help you tell a snowy egret and a great egret apart for future reference. Thanks Cheryl!
Photos: Cheryl Reynolds
