Last week, on October 13th, 2023, we installed a flow pipe, i.e. “beaver deceiver” into the beaver dam on the Mura river side channel (Stara Mura), in order to reduce the flooding of the surrounding agricultural areas. We solved a similar case nearby (also on the side channel of the Mura river) in April. The purpose of the intervention is not to remove the dam or disturb the beaver, but to lower the water level to such an extent that flooding no longer occurs and the water is still deep enough for the beaver. In order to intervene in the protected beaver structure (dam), we previously obtained permission from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Spatial Planning.
The water depth behind the dam before the intervention was around 1.6 m in its deepest part. With the insertion of the flow pipe, the water level dropped by at least 20-30 cm. After the intervention, we monitored the situation daily and found out that the agricultural land was no longer flooded.
Our goal is to ensure the best possible coexistence between beavers and people with the help of good practices.
