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Co-existing with beavers as they return to Michigan
As beavers return to their native habitat in Southeast Michigan, questions about how we co-exist alongside nature's engineers are growing. At Oakland University, a family of beavers have built a dam at Galloway Creek. Researchers came up with a solution to mitigate the worst of the flooding that comes with their presence.
(FOX 2) - If you ask the faculty at Oakland University, they have a beaver problem.
Although, if you ask the beavers that have taken up refuge in Galloway Creek, they have a human problem.
Regardless of what side you fall on, the recent damming underneath the pedestrian bridge over the creek is the latest example of beavers coming back to their historic lands in Southeast Michigan.
Their return is a good sign for those looking out for improvements in the environment. But beaver behavior and the carnage that follows their habits when they cut down trees and block waterways isn't always welcome for homeowners caught in the aftermath.
That's why the Team Beaver researchers at OU are experimenting with Michigan's first-ever pond leveler.
Courtesy of Oakland University
Beaver Damming in Southeast Michigan
Before they were extirpated, beavers dotted the Midwest landscape, including all over Southeast Michigan. The fur trade killed off any evidence of their abundance, and it has taken years for them to return.
And where beavers re-emerge, flooding will follow.
The backstory:
Beavers love to dam water. It's in their nature and are triggered by the sound of rushing water.
"When they hear that running water, they want to dam it up," Jessica Kemp said.
Courtesy of Oakland University
The flooding that follows provides them protection from predators and water-only access to the lodges they build up the river. The habitat also spawns other wildlife, bringing fish, reptiles, birds, and mammals with it.
At Galloway Creek, trail cameras set up by the university reveal blue herons and snapping turtles, minks and muskrats, as well as more beavers.
Courtesy of Oakland University
Why Galloway Creek?
The footbridge where beavers built their dam is located under the Alice R. Champion Trail near Oakland University. Logs, branches, and muck now block passage under the bridge, anchored by stilts that support the structure.
"All of a sudden, it showed up," said Sandy Troxell-Smith, a special instructor at the school. "So then we were really trying to figure out: how do we co-exist with these beavers?"
The solution came in the form of a large tube called a flexible culvert pipe and wire to keep debris from blocking the entrance to the pipe.
Courtesy of Oakland University
Dig deeper:
The mechanism is called a pond leveler. Starting underwater, the pipe stretches above the dam and provides a place for floodwaters to go when levels get too high.
That way, the beavers can have their dam and localized flooding without it exceeding the trail and blocking access.
"This is our first fully-permitted pond leveler in Michigan," Troxell-Smith said, who added it took years of review from the state's Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy department before it was approved.
The Source: Interviews with Team Beaver at Oakland University were cited for this story.