Oct. 26 was a sunny warm day—perfect for the Granby Land Trust’s Dave Emery to take a group of 20 hikers on a walk that highlighted the beaver deceiver installed at the Dismal Brook Wildlife Sanctuary. A very industrious group of beavers had constructed a dam under the footbridge, effectively raising the water level on one side of the Dismal Brook and lowering it on the other side of the bridge.
To have the beavers removed was not an option as they would be euthanized, and Dismal Brook Wildlife Sanctuary exists to protect wildlife, not destroy it. To answer the question, “What do we do now?” Emery and Lowell Kahn looked into the history of the problem and learned that beaver deceivers have been around in some fashion since the 1990s. They visited a functioning deceiver in the Granville State Forest in Massachusetts, and Kahn immediately knew what was needed for Dismal Brook.
Emery, Kahn and Steve Perry built the contraption in Emery’s driveway. They transported it in sections to the Dismal Brook footbridge in the spring of this year following a flurry of intense beaver dam-building activity under the footbridge that threatened its integrity.
What is needed to keep the water flowing is for a large pipe to be placed under the beaver dam that will allow the upstream water to continue to flow under the bridge, despite the dam. The problem is that the beavers would immediately clog up the pipe, so a wire cage is built that prevents the beavers from accessing the pipe opening. On the other side of the bridge, an L-shaped pipe is attached to the horizontal one, allowing the water to effuse upward, its opening out of reach of the busy beavers.
After learning about the deceiver, the Sunday hike continued on up to Creamer Pond where Emery pointed out the original large beaver lodge. Walking a short distance around the pond, the hikers could see the remains of several trees that have been downed, or are in the process of being downed, by the industrious mammals.
As with all the hikes that Emery leads, this one was full of interesting information presented in his understated entertaining manner. The Granby Land Trust hosts several events like this one throughout the year. To help support the mission of land preservation and educational experiences, go to GranbyLandTrust.org to learn more and become a member.