Beaver Dams

[MRM]

Hi,
Has anyone ever attempted a seepage analysis through a beaver dam? Anyone know of any papers on the subject?
Thanks.

 

[dik]

Any beaver dams I've encountered have been surprisingly waterproof... they, instinctively, repair any seepage and can sense small amounts of flow to locate leaks. You might want to check with a local learning institution to get some research information on beavers.

Dik

 

[VAD]

Dik - You are very correct about your observations. Any leaks and those critters are on it right away. Their work is awesome and always leaves one in amazement with the construction of their dams. I have walked across a few timedly at first. Very often those dams have to be dynamited in order to collapse them.

MRM -There is some info on systems to prvent beavers from plugging up culvert inlets, but seepage analysis of such dams I am not sure. Most people would want to destroy them for obvious reasons. Try a net search.

 

[oldestguy]

There are ways to fool a beaver. One way is to drive a horizontal pipe up from below at the level below which you wish to keep the water. Than, attach an elbow to the upper end with a small length riser. This "inlet" should be well into the pond, as far from the dam as possible. The beavers will not relate that as to why the water level won't rise.

 

[SlideRuleEra]

http://www.msstate.edu/web/media/detail.php?id=3162

http://www.SlideRuleEra.net

 

[oldestguy]

That one looks better yet, and does not need so much pipe.

 

[HSNIC]

http://www.snopes.com/humor/letters/dammed.asp

 

[Stego1]

In "Examining the confluence of environmental and water concerns" edited by Randall Graham, Proceedings of the World Environmental and Water Resources Congress, 2006 there is a paper titled - "Hydraulic Characteristics and Dynamics of Beaver Dams in a Midwestern U.S. Agricultural Watershed" which may be of interest!!

ISBN 0784408564 available from ASCE bookshop!

Cheers!

 

[msucog]

funny...not even one of the civil professors.
slideruleera...did you happen to go to msstate?

 

[SlideRuleEra]

msucog - No, USC (University of South Carolina).

http://www.SlideRuleEra.net