Sterling Massachusetts has a problem. Well a few of them apparently, but one problem in particular is worrying them at the moment. It starts with a B and ends with an EAVERS.
Beavers creating a dam problem on Legate Hill Road
Sterling Conservation Agent Matthew Marro has begun a process to determine who owns the land where drainages have been backed up by beaver dams and causing severe flooding at Kyle Equipment Company at 14 Legate Hill Road.
Marro noted there have been welldocumented situations involving beavers and dams in the area and that he and other conservation commissioners have personally observed the creatures throughout the season.
Kyle said investigations they personally conducted in the area revealed that the drain basin serviced by a 24-inch diameter pipe located near the far corner of his property is “totally clogged by beavers.” He also noted that the wetland areas near the back of his property also contain two beaver dams which have resulted in a clogged culvert under Route 12.
Apparently Sterling is so certain of its facts that they have declared the phrase welldocumented to be a single word. Not only is that certain. That’s damcertain. All that flooding is obviously the fault of the beavers. Of course they need killing. We just need to find out who pays for it. This isn’t a complex moral dilemma that upsets us. We’re not worried about who gets killed, but the thorny problem of who gets billed.
The Kyles insist, however, that the DPW has done all it can to increase the drainage to alleviate the situation. However, something further must be done with the beavers, they said. “It is only going to take anotherth raini stormt bbeforef I hhave watert coming through my shop,” said Sean Kyle. He also pointed out that the paved area behind their shop has been destroyed and floats when the area gets flooded.flooded
The Kyles are apparently SO UPSET that they’re stuttering. I have not changed this copy a fingertip. The paper is accurately quoted in being inaccurate. (I heard a This American Life program report about local newspapers outsourcing their writing to the Philippines. Very very chilling and you should listen someday. As it is, we should probably not be critical of the writing in this article because its clearly not their native language.)
I’d rather be critical of the Selectmen and Public works director who have lived in this town and should know better. They are located 70 miles from Beaver Solutions and Mike Callahan. In less time that it would take him to listen to that TAL episode on his truck radio describing foreign fingers writing our local papers because we’re too cheap to bother with it ourselves, he could come to Sterling with his truck ready to build a culvert fence on those drains and the Kyles need never, ever flood again.
And no beavers would need to be killed. (Although several infinitives will likely continue to be split.)
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Excellent photos this morning from Cheryl’s visit last night. Here are two happily munching willow near the secondary dam.
And this photo of a kit ponderously chewing. I love the water colors in this. Cheryl says it was a super high tide so mom must have been busy again this morning. There aren’t beavers in the Bahamas I guess, but this sure looks tropical.
