Beavers Causing Damage

Beavers Plugging Culvert

Beavers Are Plugging Up and Blocking My Culvert

Choose the option that best describes your situation to be directed to the most helpful resources!

I want to install culvert fencing.

I want to upgrade to a larger culvert.

Flooding is currently affecting or threatening to inundate a roadway or infrastructure – I need to remove the beaver and/or beaver dam immediately.

Have other questions?

Culvert fencing

Why Choose Culvert Fences

Beavers can present a unique challenge when their dam-building instincts clash with human infrastructure like culverts. Culvert fences, also known as beaver deceivers, are one type of solution to this conflict. Culvert fences are useful in many situations, including:

  • High Priority Culverts: Protecting critical infrastructure like roads or property from flooding caused by beaver dams makes culvert fences a wise investment.

  • Persistent Beaver Activity: If beavers have repeatedly blocked the same culvert, fences offer a long-term solution compared to temporary fixes like culvert grates.

  • Environmentally Sensitive Areas: Fences allow for natural water flow and fish passage, making them preferable to options that might harm aquatic life.

Benefits of Culvert Fences

  • Durable and Low Maintenance: Constructed with sturdy materials like metal mesh, fences withstand harsh weather and require minimal upkeep.

  • Non-Lethal and Humane: Unlike trapping or relocation, fences offer a peaceful coexistence strategy for humans and beavers.

  • Aesthetically Pleasing: Some fence designs can blend seamlessly with the natural environment, minimizing visual impact.

Drawbacks to Consider

  • Cost: Installation can be expensive, especially for larger culverts or complex designs.

  • Installation Expertise: Proper placement and construction require skilled labor to ensure effectiveness.

  • Not Foolproof: Persistent beavers might eventually find ways around the fence, requiring monitoring and potential adjustments.

Diversion Fences

These fences encourage the beaver to build a dam immediately upstream of the culvert instead of inside it. This keeps the culvert open and works well when some upstream flooding is tolerable. This type of fence can be used together with a flexible pond leveler (link to that page) if the level of flooding needs to be limited.

Trapezoidal Fences

These fences, shaped like an inverted pyramid, extend both upstream and downstream, creating a wider, deeper water area around the culvert. This discourages damming efforts by increasing the workload for the beavers and making the desired water level harder to achieve.

Case Study

Forest Grove – Fescue and Corn Farmer

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Case Study

Gresham Golf Course Case Study

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Overall, culvert fences offer a valuable tool for managing beaver activity near critical infrastructure. While they’re not a one-size-fits-all solution, their effectiveness, durability, and minimal environmental impact make them an excellent solution to consider when you are dealing with blocked culverts.

More Resources for Installing Culvert Fencing

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Upgrade to a Larger Culvert

Why Upgrade Your Culvert?

Increasing culvert size can reduce beaver activity and provide better passage for native fishes.

  • Undersized culverts are an attractive place for beavers.
  • Undersized and underperforming culverts can easily get blocked with sticks, logs and other debris.

  • Undersized culverts can create a hydrologic barrier that restricts salmonids from reaching habitat above the culvert.

More Culvert Upgrading Resources

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Immediate Action

Remove Beavers or a Beaver Dam Immediately

If flooding is currently affecting or threatening to inundate a roadway or infrastructure, it’s time to take immediate action in order to remove the beavers present or remove the intrusive beaver dam.

Is the blocked culvert on a public road?

Call the Public Works Department for your county (information below)

Is the blocked culvert on a private forest road?

Call Oregon Department of Forestry

Contact
Contact

Is the blocked culvert on a private non-forest road?

Call Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife for options or view a list of licensed wildlife control operators

View List

You can also contact the US Department of Agriculture’s Wildlife Services for technical advice and assistance at 1-866-487-3297

For public roads:

  • Polk: (503) 623-9287
  • Benton: (541) 766-6821
  • Marion: (503) 588-5169
  • Linn: (541) 967-3919
  • Yamhill: (503) 434-7515
  • Lincoln: (541) 265-5747

For Private Forest Roads

Beaver dam removal in water bodies during forest operations requires prior written approval from the Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF), except for essential road maintenance. (refer to ODF Forest Practice Administrative Rules and the Oregon Forest Practices Act for current regulations and guidance). Contact your ODF district office for more information.

For Private (Non-Forest) Roads

Landowners and land managers interested in lethally removing beavers on their own property can contact their local ODFW office, but lethal beaver removal should be seen as a last resort option. Beavers are an important part of the local ecosystem and their presence should not be automatically seen as a problem.

More Resources for Removing Beavers and Beaver Dams

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