Beavers: A delicate balance along Ipswich River
By Jennie Oemig–GateHouse News Service
Beavers and humans, the two most common creatures known for transforming the natural environment, have co-existed for thousands of years.
Sometimes the modern world of man clashes with the wild world of beavers. Their dams can flood out roads, septic systems, basements and wells. A beaver dam recently put parts of a Saugus golf course underwater.
At the same time, Beavers create valuable habitat for birds, fish and invertebrates.
Thus begins Jennie’s 4 page article about beavers on the Ipswich River in Massachusetts. Although it mentions population growth due to lack of wolves (!) it waits all the way until page four to discuss the 1996 changes in trapping laws. That’s got to be a first for Massachusetts which is usually so busy complaining about the law I have sometimes argued can only say the words “Beavers” and “Voters” in the same breath. It even says that although trapping is sometimes necessary, it is never the answer.
Jim MacDougall, naturalist for the Ipswich River Watershed Association and Topsfield resident, said beavers, along with all wildlife, are necessary, regardless of how big of a menace they can be.
“Every element of an ecosystem is essential,” MacDougall said. “Some species are more influential on the existence of others and beavers fall into that category. When I have to deal with their activity affecting roads and wells, they are a nuisance, but a necessary nuisance if I want quality in my life.”
Jim! You are a watershed hero and a true kindred spirit! I looked him up on the Ipswich River Watershed Association and read that he is a scientists who maintains a firm advising businesses on how to leave a cleaner water footprint. Be still my heart! A beaver fan that teaches others and delivers excellent quotes to the press! Uh, Jim…Ever think of starting a beaver festival in MA?
Obviously there are a lot of beaver believers in the area, because even the [often questionably named] conservation commissions seem to be aware of better choices than trapping.
Aside from tolerance, residents who are experiencing issues with beavers can erect exclosures —popularly called beaver deceivers — to deter the animal from building dams.
A beaver deceiver is a wire cage-like construction that prevents the beavers from damming up brook, stream or river.
Other measures such as lethal removal via trapping, removal or breaching of dams and installation of water level control devices require proper licensing and permitting.
“Our general policy is to discourage dam breaching because it doesn’t work,” he said. “They come back.”
Upon hearing the sound of water escaping, beavers tend to jump into action to promptly rebuild the dam, sometimes overnight. Standley said the best way to deal with flooding caused by beavers is to construct exclosures.
“We encourage properly installed beaver deceivers,” Standley said. The use of beaver deceivers has become a popular method for both controlling water levels and allowing beavers to remain in the area.
Okay there’s a serious naming challenge in this article – a true taximonial terror. A rose by any other name, right? As near as I can discern when they say “BEAVER DECEIVER” they mean pipe through a dam that tricks the beavers into not building it higher (Flexible leveler or Castor Master) (what we have in Martinez) and when they say EXCLOSURES they mean actual Beaver Deceivers or Culvert protective fences. Like this
Admittedly, the folks along the Ipswich River need some vocabulary lessons, but this is a pretty thorough look at beavers and their role in habitat creation and I will be both the first and the last to complain. The article does talk to a trapper who uses what he calls ‘box traps’ to live trap the beavers before killing them. I want to ask does this mean cumbersome Bavarian traps? Or did he meant to say ‘suitcase’ instead of box and is actually referring to Hancock traps? Or maybe he catches them like this? →
I don’t know. I’m afraid some of the language in this article kind of reminds me of this scene from Blazing Saddles:
—-but, grading on the good old Massachusetts MIT curve, this is an EXCELLENT beaver article all in all! It outlines the solutions and the reasons to employ them. Go read the whole thing, and see for yourself.
