Water is flowing again to Brew Bay residents after a beaver dam on Duck Lake started choking off water to Lang Creek last month.
City of Powell River manager of engineering services Frank D’Angio confirmed the city applied for a permit to trap and relocate four beavers. D’Angio added that keeping the weir free of debris this summer has been a challenge.
Brew Bay Improvement District chair Alice McNair said the water system’s operator noticed in August that the flow of Lang Creek was quite low and discovered beavers had been building a large dam in front of City of Powell River’s weir on Duck Lake, infrastructure that supplies water to Lang Creek and the 64 houses that make up the improvement district further south.
"We could see the work the beavers had done,” said McNair. “They had been quite industrious.”
City of Powell River councillor and council portfolio holder for infrastructure Karen Skadsheim said the city, which maintains the weir, has been engaged in a struggle with the beavers throughout the summer.
“The beavers were really diligent in building a great big dam right in the weir,” she said. “Staff would clear it out and then the next day it would be there again.”
McNair said she is not aware of where the beavers were relocated to, but was assured they will not be killed.
Water from Lang Creek also supplies Malaspina Volunteer Fire Department. The creek’s low level combined with the region’s high wildfire risks this summer also caused concern for Powell River Regional District, according to Electoral Area C director Colin Palmer.
Palmer added that he was impressed with the inter-governmental cooperation that ensued in order to relocate the beavers and free up the water flow.
