Beavers in Cumberland, Rhode Island, have built a roughly 75-yard dam that is backing up water for about a quarter mile, leaving a local volunteer conservation group struggling to keep pace.
Here's what to know
The animals have constructed four dams around Cumberland Land Trust preserves off Nate Whipple Highway, according to The Valley Breeze. A possible failure of the largest barrier, along with how much water it holds back, has raised concerns.
"The last dam they built is like the Hoover Dam," said Randy Tuomisto, the trust's president. "They continue to impress me in terms of their engineering capability."
Even with help from Tuomisto, clearing the blockages has proved daunting for nearby homeowner Steve Bacon. The nearby homeowner described that difficulty when he raised his flooding concerns with the Town Council.
The trust previously tried devices known as "beaver deceivers," according to The Valley Breeze. To the animals, a dam fitted with one of these cage-like structures still appears intact, even as water passes through.
Additional blockages and reduced maintenance have undercut the devices' effectiveness, despite the early improvement Bacon described.
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More background
Bacon has owned the 6-acre parcel for roughly four decades, The Valley Breeze reported, citing Town Council President Michael Kinch. Bacon said the spring thaw brought only scattered puddles during the first 27 years. Routine upkeep of the property has become difficult because the flooding persists.
Flooding also killed trees in the rare Atlantic White Cedar Swamp habitat, prompting the trust's earlier intervention.
According to Bacon, the trust's attorney pointed to housing construction on Wind Song Road and the town's decision to stop using Sneech Pond Reservoir as a water source around 2020. The spring-fed reservoir once supplied as much as a million gallons each day.
What's being done?
Public Works Director Romeo Mendes intends to inspect the site and present his findings to council members, The Valley Breeze reported.
Cumberland Water Superintendent Bobby Ray suggested that federal or state grants might help, and Councilor Jodi Sweet asked whether state partners could offer assistance.
The town has already tried culvert and roadway improvements and hired a professional beaver trapper in 2022.
Still, dismantling the dams offers little lasting relief, Tuomisto said, because the animals can rebuild overnight. Keeping the dams open could require frequent work by a town crew.
Ray cautioned that changing natural watercourses can affect surrounding ecosystems. He did say, however, that conservation work with the trust could be a meaningful opportunity for younger volunteers.
Where can I learn more?
Other communities have faced similar questions about managing beavers and the water their dams hold back.
• Washington landowners say county-owned beaver dams left their wells brown while creek sections dried up.
• Michigan's Oakland University installed a flood-controlling Beaver Deceiver to protect campus while sparing beavers.
• A Minnesota museum fears beaver-dam runoff could flood 150-year-old buildings during the spring thaw.
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