Deep Water Fence for Beaver
The purpose of the deep-water fence is to physically exclude beavers from plugging the intakes of road culverts and prevent them from detecting the flow of water into the culvert which can initiate dam building activity.
1. Beavers must be prevented from gaining access to the culvert by keeping the wire exclosures tight against the bottom, and extending the wire 18-24 inches above the water level.
2. The exclosure must be of sufficient size so as to effectively eliminate the sensation of waterflow entering the culvert. If material is deposited on the wire and it becomes a temporary dam, the flow capacity of the exclosure must be at least equal to that of the road culvert.
3. A 10' x 10' area is generally adequate. Culverts with high flow may require larger exclosures. The larger the exclosure, the more effective it is in reducing the sensation of flow.
4. In areas with uneven bottoms, a floor may be added to prevent beavers from swimming underneath the exclosure.
1. 6" x 6" mesh 60" wide concrete reinforcement wire (6 gauge) has been found to exclude beavers and still allow debris to pass through. This comes in 5' x 10' panels and in 60" wide rolls. 2. Heavy duty steel posts.
If beavers do begin to construct a dam against a fence installed to protect a culvert, it then may be necessary to install a WLCD to regulate the water level. The deep-water fence protecting the culvert will act as an emergency spillway during high run-off conditions when the WLCD cannot handle the flow. (Note: Road grades cannot usually be used as dikes. Deposited debris may have to be removed or modified.)