Keach eager to beat busy beavers

SUMNER — Road Commissioner Jim Keach is having a problem with beavers, and an individual who keeps stealing a culvert grate is not helping matters any.

"I'm having quite the time with them beavers down on River Road," said Keach. "They must have had a good year. That's all I can say."

Keach said that the beavers, which have traditionally flooded an acre and a half of land around a culvert on the road, are now flooding four acres.

"I've got boots that come up to my crotch," said Keach. "They've got it that deep."

The matter is complicated by the fact that an unknown individual has been removing a grate from the culvert, apparently trying to increase the water flow and thereby alleviate flooding.

"Someone has taken my steel grate that I put in there and wired to the top of the culvert," said Keach.

The problem is that removing the grate temporarily increases the water flow, but quickly becomes an invitation for beavers to build a blockage deep inside the culvert.

"If you want to fix the situation, you don't take out the dam, because they'll just make the dam bigger and better," said Keach."They'll start back bigger and better every time. As long as that's not inside the culvert, I can clean that."

Removing the grate costs the town money to replace, and also means that Keach has to try to clear out a beaver dam that can't be easily accessed.

"They put one in the middle of that culvert, you'll have 20 footers running right into that culvert," said Keach. "Now that makes it hard for me to clear that out, let me tell you that."

In order to replace the stolen grate, Selectman Mark Silber offered up some wire that he had been using as a cucumber fence, but Keach said that the grade of steel used in the grate would be more appropriate.

Silber suggested erecting a sign to educate individuals who might mistakenly think that they are helping to improve the situation.

The selectboard discussed dispatching or relocating the beavers, but Keach said that it wouldn't do much good, as the beavers are actually living in the river.

"Too bad we can't get rid of the people who keep stealing things," said Administrative Assistant Cynthia Norton.

"We know the beavers aren't taking [the grate]," said Selectboard Chair Mary Ann Haxton.

Keach said that he has contacted the Soil and Water Conservation District for advice on the matter.