Dec 5, 2007 6:53 pm US/Pacific
Some Officials Are Trying To Be 'Beaver Deceivers'
ALHAMBRA CREEK (CBS13) ―
As they go about their business, building dams, these beavers are causing quite a commotion around town. At one point their dam in Alhambra Creek stretched eight feet, causing homeowners to worry about flooding during the rainy season. So the Alhambra Creek Beaver Subcommittee called in an expert all the way from Vermont who created something he calls the "beaver deceiver."
"With a flow device, you can definitely control the vertical growth of the beaver dam. You can control it roughly, within a certain range, where you'd like it," explains Skip Lisle, Beaver expert.
They want to install a pipe about 10 inches wide and 40 feet long under the dam to regulate water flow, and they're hoping the beavers won't notice they have a leak in their dam.
"The guy will do a custom fit to our channel and it collects water in a way that the beaver won't hear the water leaving. And that keeps them from building up their dam," says Julian Frazer, Beaver Subcommittee member.
"They are great engineers. You know. Look at what they've done. I couldn't' do that," Laramie Dorcy said.
There's no doubt they're smart, so the question is will they fall for it?
"Do you think it's going to work? I don't think so I think an animal is a lot smarter than we are. Especially a little beaver I tell you, they've been around a long time," says Concord resident, Al Marquez.
Apparently Beavers in other communities figured it out and because of their strong work ethic, they sometimes build secondary dams. So, it's the humans who will have to make adjustments. They'll also have to be sneaky. They'll work during the day, while the beavers are sleeping in their lodge.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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