Hunter River dam worries watershed group
The group is monitoring beaver activity in the Hunter River area
The Hunter-Clyde Watershed Group is concerned about an increased presence of beavers in the Hunter River area.
Beavers recently constructed a dam in a culvert underneath Route 2 in Hunter River, beginning to plug up the waterway.
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Danielle Jordan, rehabilitation and research technician with the watershed group, says they've noticed an influx of beaver activity in the area which is causing a problem in the river going through the town.
"Beavers are pretty amazing creatures, they're the only mammal other than us people that can convert a completely terrestrial environment into an aquatic one," she said.
Trapper hired
Beavers create wetlands by chopping down trees and building dams and they become a nuisance when they enter areas with high human activity, Jordan said, such is the case in Hunter River.
"When we're seeing nuisance beavers, they can dam up culverts and when we're damming up culverts, if there is high flooding events or if the dams aren't secure, they can essentially blow out," she said.
"So we're looking at road damage, or flooding of roads or people's properties as well."
The group removed a similar dam last year and with the mammals building a new dam, they've hired a trapper to monitor the beaver population — a measure done "only when it's absolutely necessary," Jordan said.
After the beavers are removed, the group will return to remove the dam.
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With files from Mainstreet P.E.I.