A few years ago I read an article about Mike Settell getting a grant from Audubon to do a local beaver count – because beavers have such an impact on bird life. I immediately tracked him down and invited him to the beaver conference where we were able to get him a presentation time so he could talk about his work. Last year Mike installed his first pond leveler’s using Mike Callahan’s DVDs. Now there’s a great article about his work.
Pond leveler: Ecologically friendly device seeks to control flooding, protect beaver habitat
About 10 feet onto the creek, he pulls some frozen brush and snow away to reveal that he is standing on top of a large beaver dam. Further examination of the area shows a large pipe protruding off the top of the dam, with a steady flow of clear, cold water spilling out downstream. He then points towards the top of a wire cage bulging above the snow that is covering the pond, like the top of a sunken ship poking through the Arctic ice shelf.
“The Pond Leveler allows the water from the pond to easily flow past the dam and lower the pond level while maintaining some water in the pond,” he explains. “The cage prevents beavers from plugging the pipe and blocking the water flow completely. If a beaver has a stick in his mouth, he’s not going to pass through the cage and plug the pipe.”
According to Settell, flooding roads is among the main reasons beavers are trapped or killed in a stream.
“What myself and others are demonstrating are ways to keep the benefits of beavers without having to kill the beavers,” says Settell, pointing to the healthy willow stand. “We’ve also found that these devices are very cost-effective to reduce localized flooding.”
Hurray for Mike! Taking on Idaho with his bare hands! It’s getting to the point that we have at least one beaver advocate in every state, and many more in some. Can the tipping place be far behind?
“The solution in the old days would be just to destroy the dams and get rid of the entire colony of beavers,” he says, pointing towards the expanse of Rapid Creek. “FEMA has already designated this area a flood zone, so beaver or no beaver, an area like this will flood. It’s just a question of when. What we are trying to do is to retain the beaver pond’s ability to create enhanced habitat and reduce the effects of peak flooding.”
Oh you mean like we did in Martinez 6+ years ago? Yep, our flow device has been doing its job since 2008, and doesn’t show any signs of giving up. Our beavers have been doing a bit of work on both dams and you should go check them out if you can. It’s good to see flow devices going into other creeks!
This morning’s donation comes from Eagle Optics which is a supply side haven for wildlife lovers everywhere. They offer a life time warranty and the best prices on everything they sell. I first learned about them when I was involved with the group watching the San Francisco Peregrines on the PGE building. I asked a trusted biologist about buying Jon a spotting scope for his birthday, and she pointed me straight to what I needed at Eagle. For the festival Eagle Optics graciously donated a 8×25 monocular which is a great way to augment your bird and wildlife watching. It requires less visual control than binoculars so is great for kids and is so small you can slip it into your pocket easily when lugging binoculars isn’t an option. Thanks Eagle Optics for your support! I know your donation will be appreciated.
