Proceedings of the Vertebrate Pest Conference

Road damage caused by beavers is a costly problem for transportation departments in the U.S. Population control and dam destruction are the most widely used methods to reduce road damage caused by beavers, but the benefits of such measures in some situations are often very short-term. At chronic damage sites, it may be more effective and cost-beneficial to use flow devices to protect road structures and critical areas adjacent to roads. To determine the potential benefits of using flow devices at chronic beaver damage sites, from June 2004 to March 2006 we installed 40 flow devices at 21 sites identified by transportation department personnel as chronic damage sites in Virginia’s Coastal Plain. Following installations, study sites were monitored to determine flow device performance and any required maintenance and repairs. Between March 2006 and August 2007, transportation department personnel were surveyed to collect data on flow device efficacy and comparative costs. As of August 2007, transportation department personnel indicated that 39 of the 40 flow devices installed were functioning properly and meeting management objectives. The costs to install and maintain flow devices were significantly lower than preventative road maintenance, damage repairs, and/or population control costs at these sites prior to flow device installations. Prior to flow device installations, the transportation department saved $0.39 for every $1.00 spent per year on preventative maintenance, road repairs, and beaver population control. Following flow device installations, the transportation department saved $8.37 for every $1.00 spent to install, monitor, and maintain flow devices. Given the demonstrated low costs to build and maintain flow devices, transportation agencies may substantially reduce road maintenance costs by installing and maintaining flow devices at chronic beaver damage sites.