The beaver problem in the Upper Perkiomen Valley area continues to cause havoc as residents of western Milford Township are experiencing flooding due to beaver dam building on the Hazelbach Creek.

        In 2012, beavers were reported to have flourished in Green Land Park, destroying tree populations with their raised numbers. Since then, the beavers have migrated further into smaller creeks, causing more trouble.

        The PA Game Commission offered to eliminate the beaver problem in Milford Township by trapping the animals. The residents of the area disagreed with the offer, enjoying the beaver's presence.

        Jeffery Vey, Manager of Milford Township, Dave Winkler, Public Works Director of Milford Township, Randy Awckland, Scott Kimble, Andrew Todd, Rick Heffentrager and Justin Mallery took on the task of alleviating the beaver problem.

        The team began unplugging the beaver's dam in the cross pipes under the nearby road to relieve the buildup of flood water. Due to the density of the beavers' dam built in the pipe, telephone poles were used to push out the debris. Three telephone poles were broken before the pipe was cleared.

        Winkler stated the beavers immediately built their dam again.

        "Beavers are very intelligent, they seem to have everything planned out as if they had blueprints laid out inside their dams," stated Winkler on the beaver's quick work to fix their broken dam.

        The team reevaluated their plan and after some more research, found a solution; the beaver deceiver and a leveler.

        On May 11, the two devices, the beaver deceiver and the leveler; were installed to regulate the water levels without disturbing the beavers, creating a solution to please everyone.

        The beaver deceiver, an angled welded cage, leads the beavers away from the cross pipes by making the rodents think the area is already plugged with dam materials.

        The leveler, a drainage pipe encased in a rebar welded cage, keeps the water levels regulated. The beavers hear the water flowing from the drainage pipe and try to cover the area with sticks and mud due to their instincts to "fix" a leak, like they initially did with the cross pipe. However, the rebar cage prevents the clogging of the drainage pipe.

        The leveler provides the beavers with enough water to survive while also keeping the water level low to avoid flooding. The leveler brought the water level down by 6 inches, providing the beavers with the minimum 24 inches they need to swim in.

        "The leveler seemed to make the residents happy," stated Winkler, on the devices ability to produce a peaceful balance between the beavers and the nearby residents.

        Although the beavers have the public worried about flooding, the rodents do contribute to the ecosystem when they are controlled.

        Vey described the beaver as a "keystone species", providing a greater impact on the ecosystem than any other animal. Beavers create wetlands which provide water purification, flood protection and groundwater recharging for the ecosystem.

        Tom Courdoff, Supervisor of Milford Township, stated the beaver's arrival brought other species into the area: mallards, wood ducks, mink and coyote, as well as increasing the fish population.

        With the successful installation of the beaver deceiver and leveler, Winkler suggests that other areas take the implementation of the devices into consideration to preserve the creation of wetland areas while keeping damages to a minimum.