Bradly Johnson

C. Letellier wrote:Question will they keep building dams down stream if you get the flow out of the dam?

If the dam is the primary problem:  You can install beaver proof diverters on your drain.    Basically it is a long perf pipe extending out deep into the pond but held off the bottom by a bit.  It is surrounded by a cage, out away from the pipe, so the beaver can't get close, so they can't feel the current from it.  This pipe then runs up close to the dam and elbow up still on the water side of the dam.  The height of this elbow is the minimum height you want the water in the dam to be.  You surround this with a larger pipe much taller pipe that then elbows to the drain line that goes out thru the dam.  This double wall pipe is designed to make flowing water noises and be the distraction and the beaver will built a major dam around it trying to stop the noise.  But since the flowing water is inside a pipe they can't get to it to plug it.  If you need to pull deeper occasionally you can slide a third layer capped pipe between the 2 and keep the siphon going pulling the water down deeper in the pond.  On the outlet side usually they just run an open pipe.  But if this turns into a problem, the outlet end pipe is extended with perf pipe buried in a bed of larger washed rocks turning the outlet into what looks like a natural spring.  There are whole articles and small book written on building these systems.  But summed up get the inlet current a ways away from the dam in a very quiet form and keep the beaver from getting close enough to feel the current.  Some place close to the dam create something noisy to keep them paying attention there that they can't get to because it is in a semi sealed system.  They can hear the problem and instinctively try and fix it.  If you occasionally have major influxes you might want to put in several of these systems that progressively get bigger with different height levels.  You definitely want the ones that are occasion use set up like springs so nothing plugs the bottom end of the pipe.

Actually because of the beaver and this last Strom surge we had in western Washington I just had too spend last weekend rebuilding our road so the neighbors could get out too town, the dam let go and washed all the gravel and rock from around the culvert the creek goes through completely impassable happens about 2-3 times a year this was a expensive one cost me 980 dollars to get it fixed up, talked too the department of wildlife they won't do anything unless I have a hydraulic study done (cost 3k)  to get a permit too just rip out the dam. So frustrating my land is getting so soggy. I tried one of the diverters and they work great until the dam let's go because there is too much water pushing it when the dam opens it ends up down the road and I have too retrieve it with my tractor, once we hit winter I'm not able too rebuild the diverter in place of the dam, do too the water level being around 6 or 7 feet where I need to stand, I'm looking at ways too change the topography too combat this little s@#$ . Oh yeah found out I'm a terrible trapped also lol set a coni bear and set it sit out for a month with no triggers set, they make such a mess and boy do they have a smell to them reminds me of wet goat lol

Hans Quistorff wrote:Possibly build a spillway into the creek or ditch or both that is just above the level the bevers maintain.  If it only overflows during storm events then the bever may not block it.    

This would work I was just trying too avoid a ditch in my pasture, I was thinking something like a French drain but not sure if it would keep up with the water I want too build the ground up also so I'm just planning for proper drainage I have a high water table probably average 3 ft  

Anne Miller wrote:A contour map would be very helpful.

The problem I am seeing from you last picture is that you want the water to flow toward another persons property. Or do you also own beyond that area?

I own both sides of the road I want too divert the ground water from pond over flow area back to a ditch or back into the creek, the creek runs under the road way too the left of the beaver dam, I'm not each parcel is 5 acers, and most is vacant land surrounding me, atleast for 80 acers

Bradly Johnson wrote:

Bradly Johnson wrote:

Anne Miller wrote:Sounds to like you need some well place ditches especially along that road.

A picture of the problem areas would help folks to make suggestions.

I included a couple of maps I drew on.  pond is labeled and where is over flows is in light blue, the other map shows that the pond is supposed too be a meandering creek (light blue line), I marked location of the beaver dam with a red squiggle

My property with the pasture that floods is in the light blue flooding area, sorry just noticed I didn't mark that. But there is a road that is ditched

Bradly Johnson wrote:

Anne Miller wrote:Sounds to like you need some well place ditches especially along that road.

A picture of the problem areas would help folks to make suggestions.

I included a couple of maps I drew on.  pond is labeled and where is over flows is in light blue, the other map shows that the pond is supposed too be a meandering creek (light blue line), I marked location of the beaver dam with a red squiggle

Anne Miller wrote:Sounds to like you need some well place ditches especially along that road.

A picture of the problem areas would help folks to make suggestions.

I included a couple of maps I drew on.  pond is labeled and where is over flows is in light blue, the other map shows that the pond is supposed too be a meandering creek (light blue line), I marked location of the beaver dam with a red squiggle

Ok so I have a 4 acer pond that is fish baren and creek fed , that being said it's great and pretty too look at also fish in but every MAY with heavy rain it over fills and floods my  pasture, my soil cant handle the extra waterless of clay and high water table. The Lands all pretty flat, there is a hand full of beavers I battle with and I can't keep up with there dam building on the outlet, I pull out sticks or blow up or use a excavator too pull the hole thing and move a ton of water (but doing this drains the pond first my yard second) but it gets rebuilt over night no problem but doing that it water hammers my private road the creek runs under for about 30 feet through 2 18in culverts, my question is in my pasture it's a little in a low area anyways so should I build a drain field with perforated pipe running from my pasture to a ditch that will let it flow back too the creek and back fill and level my pasture? When I'm saying it over flows into the pasture I'm talking about a foot of water, is this a feasible method or any advice would be great and appreciated, I'm out in Graham Washington state
Thanks again Brad!

Y names Brad! I am out in peirce county, between graham and eatonville, I have 5 acres out here that I own out right I'd like too do a off grid set up but also don't know the county rules that apply to me that I need too find the loops holes in, or what permits, land testing,  I ACTUALLY need even tho I don't believe I they should apply too me because I didn't take out a loan with someone else's money, does anyone possibly have the knowledge I might be looking for? Lots of questions no one too really help especially the county's public works they are absolutely no help they just says too get a land use permit, oh but in order to get that you need too get biology work done, then you need to do the work you need done of whatever the biologist feels need too be done (thousands after paper work and filing fees) then thousands for a septic designer because they say a composting toilet or out house can't be your main waste disposal (close too 30k) then say you need running water to supply said septic (another easy 30k) then I can start talking about build permits after 100k of improvements that I necessarily didn't want, I'm not clueless I'm pretty hands on and able too do pretty much anything, I'm a remodel contractor by trade, but iv read and read  and been told some many different facts and regulations I need to unlearn it all and have someone more knowledgeable about this help me out thank you for taking the time too read me rambling on about this!
Thank you thank you!