Date: Tue, 3 Feb 2004 12:29:33 -0500 Reply-To: Maryland Birds & Birding Sender: Maryland Birds & Birding From: Gail Mackiernan Subject: Re: Huntley Meadows drainage In-Reply-To: <401FD409.C5745F25@worldnet.att.net> Mime-version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-transfer-encoding: 7bit Beavers are usually very quick to repair their dams, if possible -- sometimes too quick when dams are breached to prevent road flooding. What are the beavers doing? (I realize they may be keeping low profile during the worst weather but would expect they might try to do something about the dam when it warms up a bit -- lack of water covering the underwater entrances to their lodges makes them vulnerable to predators such as mink.) Have seen beavers active in very early spring in the park behind our house, but this has a stream with running water. Not sure how they would deal with a drained, frozen pond. Gail Mackiernan Silver Spring, MD on 02/03/2004 12:02 PM, john messina at jncmessina@WORLDNET.ATT.NET wrote: > The following posting on the Va. bird list should interest many of > you, > too: > > Many birders have probably not been out to Huntley Meadows during this > cold weather but will have a big surprise this spring. The water has > drained out of the wetland because the main beaver dam sprung a big > leak! This happened early last month and so far, the park staff has > not taken any action except to ask for public comments. For anyone who > values the Park and the wonderful birding to be had there, I encourage > you to follow the link below and make your opinions known. Studies > were done anticipating the failure of the dam, and one thousand > sandbags were bought and are ready to be filled. This is one quick > option but the Park staff is slowly exploring others. Time moves > slowly in the Park Authority so I ask all who can to make their voices > heard before birds, turtles, frogs and birders begin to suffer! > > Thanks, > Marianne Mooney > Huntley Meadows Park volunteer www.friendsofhuntleymeadows.org (click > on news/events, then wetland > comments) > > ====================================================================== > = > To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com > with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey > ======================================================================= > ======================================================================= To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey ======================================================================= =========================================================================