I wrote an article last year about the work we have done at Surry Forest to install flow devices at two water crossings in Surry Forest that have continual issues with beaver damning. With the help of staff and interns I installed devices around the two crossings which were intended to keep the water flowing and avoid flooding and road damage. Although these devices, made from culverts and wooden and wire caging, worked well in the dry summer of 2020, they failed in the very wet summer of 2021. As you may have noticed if you visited Surry Forest, the beaver blocked up the water and part of the road washed out several times. Despite my best efforts the beaver outmaneuvered me, and I spent many muddy mornings pulling debris away from beaver dams to get some water flowing.
In the fall of 2021 board member Susan Shetterly introduced me to Skip Lisle, a wildlife biologist and the founder and owner of Beaver Deceivers LLC. Skip has spent the last 25 years studying beaver and designing flow devices, which he dubbed “Beaver Deceivers”, that preserve the ecological benefits of beaver wetlands while managing water levels to protect roads and other human resources. We hired Skip to install his devices at both crossings in Surry Forest, which he did in November 2021. The devices are well thought out, well-built, and will hopefully perform much better than our in-house attempts. I am glad that we started the effort to protect the wetlands and roads at Surry Forest, but it is true that you get what you pay for and sometimes you just have to hire the expert!
