by Curt Kovener
I have written previously about the pair of beavers who have taken up residence in the wilderness pond. We can see their lodge on the west bank made up of sticks and mud.
We are very fine with the beavers staying with us because, being herbivores, they have pretty much cleaned out the invasive autumn olive and sumac growing along the steep pond banks. Granted they have gnawed through and felled some larger trees on the north point of the pond but the trees in the water have improved the habitat for the fish. As a result there are more of them and they are larger.
My research has told me beavers do not like the sound of running water. Thus they build dams to slow and frequently stop the flow and maintain their preferred level for lodge living.
Early on, my battle was to keep the drain pipe from being plugged by the beaver. But my hospitalization in February of last year kept me from doing any dam battles. My incapacitation did not stop the beavers as they added nightly to the drain pipe plug. Now to find and open the drain pipe will require a backhoe or excavator. So I have been diligent about keeping the emergency overflows free running.
I am motivated to keep the pond level under control otherwise surface water gets into the well resulting in murky water…even after it goes through three whole house filters.
With the lack of rain last summer and fall keeping the pond level down and draining was not a problem. But with winter’s precipitation raising the pond level, the dam battle goes on.
Beaver are predominantly nocturnal so for the past few weeks, when it is light out in the mornings, I put on my knee boots and grab a combination hoe and two-pronged rake (a roe? a hake?) and take a walk to see if the beavers have been busy.
Sure enough, where the emergency drain narrows is the nighttime dam builders effort. Sticks, twigs, leaves, pine needles and black mucky mud have stopped the water flow. I busy myself with being a dam buster raking, hoeing and flipping onto a debris pile the organic plug to let water flow again out of the pond. And it does all during the daylight but at dusk the beaver return, probably cussing me, and rebuilding their small dam.
And the next morning, as I cuss the beavers, I undo their nighttime of work.
And I must remain daily diligent lest the beavers get too far ahead of me in our high water game.
It is especially important what with heavier spring rains approaching that I try to keep the pond level below well level. And my February adventure has shown me not to miss a morning doing my dam battle lest the dam busting require mechanized assistance.
Besides, it is some morning exercise when I can commune quietly, if not sloppily, with nature.