At the beginning of December we received an incentive from Kozjanski park to have a look at known beaver dams along Buča brook in Buče settlement as well as Ribnik brook in Lastnik settlement. On both water courses several beaver dams are present, and they are the cause of flooding of neighbouring fields.
When conflicts arise between beaver and land owners due to flooding and beaver dams, one of the options is to lower the water level above the dam with the help of a special water pipe called beaver-deceiver. This enables part of the water flow to be redirected past the beaver dam. At the correct setting of the pipe, it is possible to lessen the flooding of the neighbouring fields or completely prevent it. It is also possible at the same time to keep the water depth above the beaver dam at a sufficient level for beavers.
In first instance we also hope to be able to inform as many people as possible about useful beaver mitigation options which are relatively easy to implement. Beaver “constructions” which enable localised flooding are beneficial in helping to reduce climate change impact as well as water cleansing and keeping the biodiversity intact.
The goal of LIFE Beaver project is to enable successful cohabitation between people and this ecosystem engineer.
