Both the city and county of Merced has a fairly lethal history with beavers. In our last review of depredation permits they were among the highest tally – even though they are listed as having 0 square miles of water. Apparently old habits die hard.
Merced’s beavers – nuisance or benefit?
Many travelers of the bike paths that run along Merced’s creeks may not be aware of the vibrant ecosystem at their feet, but experts say it’s there.
Aaron Pulver, 54, of Merced said he mostly never thought about the critters that call Black Rascal Creek home until the day he noticed what was clearly a tree that had been gnawed at by beavers. Now, to hear him explain it, he’s got “beaver fever.”
Pulver said he’s never actually seen any beavers in the creek – the mostly nocturnal rodents steer clear of humans during the day. But, now that he’s aware of their presence, he can’t help but see the teeth marks on trees and the dams that stop water from rushing through the creek.
“I’m worried about the flooding,” he said.
Cynthia Pulver, his sister, said she’s worried about loss of trees on the bank. One larger tree, which may have been growing for a couple of decades, fell sometime between Monday night and Tuesday morning. The tree had clearly been chewed up by one or more beavers.
“I’m more concerned with the aesthetics of the creek and the health of the trees,” the 55-year-old said.
The dams are also habitats for other wildlife. In fact, a couple of scientists at the Occidental Arts and Ecology Center in Sonoma County started a campaign called Bring Back the Beaver.
The campaign argues that beavers are a “keystone species” that not only helps other animals, but are beneficial to a thirsty California. Their dams help water to seep into underground aquifers, according to beaver advocates.
Hooray for Brock and Kate! And hoo
ray for even discussing the benefits of beaver in an area that’s ground level is actually receeding because of the shrinking aquifer.
But I’m not holding my breath on the outcome. There’s a lot of resistance to beavers in the area, not the least of which is discussed in this article. Check out the outraged letter to the editor a few days later.
Joe Brucia: District’s beaver control effort: A fantasy!
Re “Beavers are nuisance and benefit” (Page 1A, Jan. 7): It is time for the city, county and Merced Irrigation District to develop a written policy on preventing beaver damage along Black Rascal Creek. It is a safety issue for those who enjoy the area. Regardless of our local agency’s assurances, here are the facts:
▪ Black Rascal Creek flowing through the city (and portions of the county) is actually a canal. The real creek is diverted into Bear Creek, just east of Kibby Road at Fairfield Canal.
▪ Water flows into the city portion of the creek through irrigation pipes during the summer and from street drainage in winter.
▪ Entrances to culverts along the creek are often dammed by beavers.
▪ Large beaver dams create ponds of stagnant water each spring and, if there was no significant irrigation season, into the summer.
▪ High water from beaver ponds causes erosion damage to creek banks.
▪ Trees partially chewed are a hazard to walkers and especially to kids playing in the area.
▪ For flood control, the city removes a dam or clears a culvert. However, the beaver remains to rebuild.
▪ Within city limits, beavers are not beneficial to Black Rascal Creek.
▪ In the city, responsibility for beaver control is not clearly communicated.
▪ The city, county, MID and MCAG have not provided the public with any written information on their procedures or policies related to dam or beaver damage.
Let’s hope that our local governments can work together to devise a plan, communicated to the public, to solve the problem. It would be appropriate to request public input.
Joe Brucia, Merced
Nicely defended Joe. Obviously no time was wasted before sitting down at the computer to defend your freedom from beavers. I tried to look him up and found that ten of his letters have been published fairly recently, including one that says lawns shouldn’t be allowed between the sidewalk and the street – because of the drought. And if we’re wondering how reasonable Joe is we have to ask ourselves, “who would take the time to write a letter about meridian strips?” (And before you answer YOU, remember I have a fairly narrow focus these days.)
So Joe’s that guy why rambles at every council meeting whether he cares about the issue or not and once in a great while makes sense. We can discard that letter, but you should really read the comments after it. One of them is just brilliant!
