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.
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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…