Tag: Beavers and waterwheels

Busy as beavers, really, in Rehoboth, MA

REHOBOTH – In North Rehoboth, where the Palmer River is barely a brook, scattered trees are suddenly being cut down along the banks. What had been a small dam dating to colonial times is being built higher – with sticks and wattle.

The changes, and the gradually rising water in a pair of small ponds, isn’t the work of rural vandals. It marks the return of the North American beaver, a stranger to the area since before the Revolution.

E. Otis Dyer, landowner and longtime authority on local history, sees in their comeback the story of nature renewing itself after centuries of human dominance.

At Stony Brook, environmental workers had to install a bypass pipe called a “beaver deceiver” to dissuade the animals from expanding a dam that threatened to flood a foot bridge.

Dyer says he doesn’t take umbrage at the beaver, who are only reclaiming a piece of their natural environment. Still, he said the animals’ presence is gradually causing the water in his ponds to rise.

I love Mr. Dyers calm historical perspective, and I love the fact that the article mentions a flow device solving a similar problem. Rehoboth is about 100 miles from Mike Callahan and beaver solutions, but something tells me this might get him to take a road trip. Think of what an interesting puzzle this is since the water is already directed into a narrow channel to run the wheel. That means the beavers are damming it and when the dams blow out they send debris into the wheel. I can’t imagine their damming the actual wheel itself, but who knows? It probably is going to require something more like culvert protection than what we had in Martinez. Maybe even a diversion dam.

I nominate Mike for the job!

Speaking of nominations for the job, I’m also nominating Caitin McCombs for the job of educating citizens about the mountain house beavers. She’s done an amazing job  so far. She confronted some council members on the bunk they were passing at this week’s meeting. Now her article has appeared in the local paper.  And don’t think I love this for a minute only because it praises what Martinez did! (Although that doesn’t hurt.)

Wonderful job Caitlin! You are doing fantastic work to raise awareness and get folks attention in Mountain House. We are thrilled little Martinez could inspire you to try and coexist with these important water savers. Rumor is she is coming to help us at Earth day so you can congratulate her in person then!

One final outstanding graphic from Elizabeth Saunders at Cows and Fish for you to share. Isn’t this brilliant?