Missoula County to install ‘beaver deceiver’ to prevent flooding

Martin Kidston

(Missoula Current) Don’t tell the beavers about the deceivers.

Missoula County on Tuesday agreed to partner with the National Wildlife Federation to test a mechanism intended to keep beavers near Seeley Lake from damming up a culvert off Woodworth Road.

“We have in the past had problems with beavers building dams at the inlet of a culvert,” said county engineer Erik Dickson. “It’s just a pond of water. It’s a pretty clear standing body of water right on the road.”

While the beavers are rather skilled at building dams, their handiwork has resulted in some flooding, including the roadway and nearby ditch.

Looking for a humane solution, the county came across a program run by the National Wildlife Federation, which has “some sort of structure” it places at the inlet of culverts to deter beavers from building dams.

According to the organization, the device is placed into the water to prevent beavers from causing unwanted flooding. The tool allows water to continue to drain without the beaver sensing a leak in the dam.

In the end, it keeps both “humans and beavers happy without leaving either species homeless,” the NWF federation said of the device.

“That is preferable to trapping and either relocating or killing the problem beavers,” said Dickson. “We had a member look and they suggested this structure. They install it for free and maintain it. It’s a fairly straight-forward process.”