Canada's industrious national animal is causing headaches for Town staff these days.
Beavers have, apparently, built their dam too close to a pedestrian bridge in Hungry Hollow, which has raised water levels along the banks of Silver Creek, washing away the soil around the bridge abutments, exposing them to the elements.
Part of the dam has been cleared as a temporary measure, but the damage has been done.
While Town staff says the bridge is still structurally sound at the moment, it won’t remain so if left the way it is.
“There is a significant enough concern with the bridge structure that there does need to be a significant intervention,” Commissioner of Transportation Bill Andrews said.
A geomorphologist hired by the Town has recommended the full removal of the dam. The Town believes that is the best option.
But Andrews and his staff first “want to consult with the CVC (Credit Valley Conservation) to see if there is any other option in the long run.”
The Town is meeting with the CVC in two weeks. Removal of the dam, if that option is chosen, could occur one to two weeks after that.
The very nature of beavers presents a major challenge to staff, requiring them to exercise a great deal of caution when coming up with a solution.
Beavers are highly territorial, and it's illegal to move them more than one kilometre from their original habitat. They can't be placed in locations near other beavers. While actual fights between beavers are uncommon, they can happen over violations of territory.
The Town is working to exhaust all possible solutions on how to deal with the beavers. Though unlikely, this could include euthanization if a viable alternative location cannot be found. The Town would employ a licensed trapper to remove the animals.
“That way it's done in a professional, humane manner, whatever work is done,” Andrews said.
The provincial and federal governments both have guidelines on how to deal with these environmental engineers.
The pedestrian bridge itself is located immediately to the west of the Hungry Hollow bridge, sometimes referred to as the Mountainview Road bridge more colloquially.
Additional studies will be conducted to see what sort of repairs can be made to the bridge. This can include not just rebuilding the soil around the abutment, but also erosion protection measures like placing large rocks.
Staff became aware of the structure sometime around late fall or early December last year. As beavers use dams to increase their survivability during the winter, removal would have made them vulnerable during the colder months.