Beavers a threat to safety of Norwottuck Rail Trail

By Nick Grabbe
Staff Writer

Published on November 10, 2006

Sections of the Norwottuck Rail Trail could collapse this winter or spring because of flooding caused by beaver dams, according to state officials.

The 8-foot-wide ribbon of pavement, commonly known as "the bikepath," is heavily used by walkers, runners and rollerbladers as well as bicyclists. The section that is at risk is about a quarter-mile west of the Station Road parking lot.

This section, which runs by a large pond, has become popular as a place to look at herons, kingfishers - and beavers.

The brown furry rodents have been controversial since their population exploded after certain traps were banned in a statewide referendum in 1996. They have made homes at an embankment near the bikepath, and last fall a clogged pipe installed to limit their impact caused water to briefly overspread the pavement.

Already, beaver activity has caused subsidence or uneven pavement on the bikepath, said Morris Root, an engineer working for the state. The size of the shoulders of the bikepath have diminished, and in one place a burrow is only 6 inches from the pavement.

High water levels and burrowing have led to seepage through the embankment and water is flowing through it under the bikepath, Root said. "I would not certify that it would be safe through the winter," he told the Conservation Commission recently.

An especially risky time will be next year's snow melt. "That's when things tend to fall apart," he said. "Maybe it will, maybe it won't."

The state's Department of Conservation and Recreation would prefer not to wait and find out. It wants to do some excavation work this fall to shore up this section of the bikepath, closing it for about three days, said Richard Brazeau, the assistant regional engineer.

The department still needs to find a funding source for the $25,000 estimated cost of the repair project, he said. There are currently no plans to seek permission to trap the beavers, he said.

Some Conservation Commission members expressed concern late last month about the repair plans.

Harvey Allen said the best time to do the work would be the summer. He said he is worried about the frogs and turtles that hibernate in the mud if the repairs cause the water level to drop.

"We humans are too ready to do whatever we can to accommodate ourselves," said commission member Otto Stein.

John Gerber, who chairs the commission, said the discussion is not adversarial. "We're trying to figure this out," he said. The commission planned to discuss it further at its meeting on Wednesday.

"We're seeking a way to mitigate the damage (the repair) causes," Brazeau said.

Meanwhile, the state would like to repave the bikepath to eliminate ruts and the risk of tire punctures caused by the crushed glass used in its construction in 1993. Rep. John Olver, D-Amherst, has secured federal money for the repaving project, Brazeau said.

The project has been held up by a discussion over whether to widen the bikepath to 10 feet to accommodate its high level of use, he said. Although that question remains unresolved, he hopes the repaving will take place next year, he said.