BeaverWise Program

Beaver troubles? We can help!!

SVPA’s BeaverWise Program has been developed to help valley landowners and land managers mitigate and reduce beaver-caused flooding, drainage issues, and damage to property and infrastructure.

In talking with the many farmers and landowners in the valley, we’ve recognized that there is not a one-size-fits-all approach to managing beavers. Our program seeks to serve the unique, complex needs and challenges of a highly-modified agricultural landscape in order to protect farmland, infrastructure, and other important assets on our working resource lands as well as optimize the numerous ecosystem services beavers provide, where it’s most appropriate.

Our hope is that this program will result in reductions in flooding caused by beavers on agricultural land and infrastructure, support beaver habitat in coexistence with human activities, enhance agricultural productivity and strengthen the local food economy, and assist in the establishment and longevity of riparian buffer planting to enhance salmon recovery.

Photo: Regina, SVPA Field Scientist, installing a Notch Exclusion Fence in a beaver dam to reduce flooding impacts.

Photo: Beaver relocation release with Tulalip Tribes Beaver Program.

The goals of this program are to:

1) Provide base beaver population data necessary for effective wildlife management

2) Deliver technical assistance and beaver-related flood reduction education, resources, and tools to agricultural producers

3) Offer financial assistance in the form of cost-share, free technical guidance, and free regulatory navigation guidance

4) Provide on-site management implementation, installation, and maintenance assistance

Cost-Share Program

Our cost-share program provides financial assistance (up to $500 per landowner) that can be applied to the installation, maintenance, and/or materials of any beaver management devices, such as a notch exclusion fences, culvert, tree protection, etc. Reach out to us today if you would like to apply for our cost-share program.

Applications available upon request.

We are here to HELP!

And to do that, we want every landowner and land manager we work with to feel comfortable and confident that inviting our Beaver Management staff onto your property will result in positive outcomes. While we can’t promise we will have the perfect solution upon our first visit, we can promise that we are a non-regulatory program that will hold your privacy and trust in high regard and we will do our best to aid you in finding the management strategies that work for you and your land management goals.

For more information or to set up a site visit, please email our Beaver Conservation Manager, Justine Casebolt, at justine@svpa.us.

Photo: Large beaver lodge in the middle of a beaver pond

Additional Resources

Beaver Management Devices

Culvert Exclusion Devices

When a beaver hears the flow of water, it is an instinct for the beaver to stop that flow of water by building a dam. So a culvert under a road is an easy place for a beaver to create an instant pond, by simply plugging the “hole.” Fortunately, there are management tools to help prevent beavers from plugging culverts. For more information on protecting culverts from beavers click the links below.

YouTube: Beaver Exclusion Fencing Installation YouTube: Road Culvert Protection from Beavers

Pond Levelers

Flexible Pond Levelers are a great tool if you want to reduce a beaver pond depth to a more manageable height. They can be used for free-standing beaver dams or in addition to a culvert protection fence. Click on the links below for more information on Flexible Pond Levelers.

Flexible Pond Levelers by Beaver Institute

Tree Protection

Similar to other rodents, beavers have teeth that never stop growing; therefore, they need to chew wood to prevent their teeth from getting too long. Beavers use their powerful teeth to bring down trees for food and building material for dams and lodges. However, you can easily protect the trees and other vegetation by using fencing. We recommend installing 4′ tall- 2″ x 4″ wire mesh fence in these cases.

Painting a tree with sand added latex paint can also prevent beavers from chewing. The paint color can be matched to the tree color, which is more aesthetically pleasing than fencing. We recommend using 5oz. of sand in 1 quart of exterior latex paint = 20 oz sand in 1 gallon exterior latex paint.

Protecting Trees from Beaver Chewing by Beaver Institute

Photo: Large tree with active beaver chewing

Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife

For more information on beavers in Washington, regulations, preventing conflicts, and trapping, check out Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (links below).

Beaver (Castor canadensis)Furbearer trapping seasons and rules

Beaver Related Regulations and Permitting

There are many rules and regulations related to beaver management. For instance, you cannot remove or modify a beaver dam without a Hydraulic Project Permit in Washington. Depending on the site, King County may require a Clearing and Grading Permit. If you have questions or concerns related regulations and permits regarding beavers and their dams, please contact us for assistance!

Hydraulic Project Approval (HPA)King County Clearing and Grading - Land use permit process