Rusty Cohn of Napa has become so hopelessly addicted to news of his beavers, and had to leave the comfort of his cozy house with a head cold to capture a glimpse of his much-rained-upon beavers.

(I know the feeling.)

And it looks like Toyota in Mississippi has decided to stop fighting and actually co-exist with beaver, which probably makes them unique in all the state.

Leave it to Beaver

During construction of the plant, two retention ponds were established. The ponds are designed to capture and hold storm water runoff, allowing any suspended solids to settle. Water discharge from the pond is regulated with an 11-foot sluice gate and seven-foot concrete wall just beyond the gate. When the gate is raised, the water flows out through three slots in the wall.

Except when beavers dam it.

“They packed the flow slots with trees and mud. It was almost like concrete,” says McCarthy. “We’d be down there once or twice a week and they’d be right back the next week.”

After battling the beavers for six months, the team packed it in by the fall of 2012. And the water stayed.

“It never empties,” McCarthy says. “Even in July and August there’s one to two feet of water. But there isn’t a risk of flooding since water still discharges when it reaches the top of the wall.”

The resulting lake brought other critters. Ducks, as well as fish and other species, now call it home.

Hurray for Toyota in Mississippi! And Hurray for beavers! Heck if you let the habitat be restored by them, you won’t need to build any more wood duck boxes. Just wait.