Beavers build dams at Shenango Lake

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District
Published Feb. 22, 2016
Kyle Kraynak and Jason Cote, park rangers, then built a water flow control device at the culverts entrance.

Kyle Kraynak and Jason Cote, park rangers, then built a water flow control device at the culverts entrance.

Shenango Lake maintenance workers cleared a beaver dam from a road culvert at Golden Run Wildlife Area to prevent flooding, Feb. 3.

Using a backhoe with a tree trunk as a ram rod, the maintenance crew cleared the culvert of debris. Kyle Kraynak and Jason Cote, park rangers, then built a water flow control device at the culverts entrance.  Made of heavy gauge concrete reinforcing wire rolled into a cylinder, the 10-foot long device was inserted about two feet into the culvert, with the protruding end slightly elevated. 

The constructed device is long enough that the beavers will have difficulty blocking the entire structure, especially further away from the culvert entrance.  The elevated end allows for water to continue to flow through the structure and the culvert pipe.  Eventually the device will need to be cleaned, but is working as designed

Scientific research indicates that beavers are attracted to the sight, sound or feel of running water which compels them to build a dam. Beavers, and beaver dams, are found in streams across the country, creating ponds for birds, fish and other wildlife. 

                                                                                                                                                                                       

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