Meadow & stream restoration,
beaver coexistence services,
fire fuels contracting,
& rangeland management
Beaver Coexistence Services
Wet Meadows is an approved coexistence contractor
for CA and Western U.S. States with the Occidental Arts and Ecology Center's
California’s Beaver Coexistence Training and Support Program
We specialize in providing technical assistance (both project permitting and implementation) to property owners and land managers who are experiencing beaver conflicts.
We use non-lethal management techniques to mitigate beaver conflict and reduce the risks that beaver activity can pose to private ranch lands, agricultural operations, municipal infrastructure, and residential development. Our beaver coexistence infrastructure is proven to be highly effective, generally low cost, and requires only minimal maintenance once installed.
While beavers can be problematic for land owners and managers in both rural and developed areas, they also provide essential ecosystem services that create aquatic habitat, improve water quality, raise water tables, and increase biodiversity. Wet Meadows is here to help you manage beaver populations so that you can continue enjoying the benefits of North America's best ecosystem engineers.
Take the First StepTowards Coexistence
Follow the link below to submit an assistance form through the Beaver Help Desk and select Wet Meadows as your approved contractor of choice.
Site assessments are currently being funded in full, meaning we will visit your beaver conflict site, take photos and measurements, and produce a written report detailing our mitigation recommendations, the permitting process, and the overall project budget—all at no cost to you. Additionally, Occidental Arts & Ecology Center is offering significant cost-share financial assistance for project permitting and implementation.
Types of Beaver Coexistence Structures
Culvert Exclusion Fence
Culvert exclusion fence structures are designed to prevent beavers from building dams directly on or near culverts, thus maintaining water conveyance as desired. These structures have a 96% success rate in reducing dam building and preventing blockage of culvert pipes. Implementation of these devices can greatly reduce the annual costs of culvert and road maintenance for private and public land managers.
Pond-Leveler Devices
A pond leveler device manages flow through pre-established beaver dams, preventing flooding of adjacent property while allowing beavers to remain active on site. This device allows land owners to retain the positive ecosystem services provided by beavers while effectively mitigating flood risk. Put plainly, these devices function as a permanent leak in the beaver dam which, as a result of specific design features, beavers remain unable to block in the long-term.
Fence & Pipe Devices
Fence and pipe devices involve a combination of a culvert exclusion fence and a pond leveler device. This method has a proven 99% success rate through past projects of the Beaver Institute. Implementation of this device can effectively control beaver damming on culverts, therefore permitting water to be conveyed as desired through culvert and/or weir infrastructure. Similar to the other devices, it requires only minimal maintenance once installed, and preserves all of the positive environmental benefits of beaver ponds within properties or municipalities.