According to Rammeloo, the beaver in the Hunze area also suffers from the high water. “We expect that the beavers will dig new dens there. Due to the high water levels, they will look for new dry places. These are often the higher places, i.e. the dikes.” And according to the water board man, that is a reason to check the dikes extensively. That also happened during Christmas.
The consequences can be major, Rammeloo explains: “A dike can break. That risk exists, but fortunately it has not happened yet. A beaver can dig a tunnel of ten meters in one night if they were to make a castle. Our dikes are also about ten meters wide along the Hunze.”
No new dens were found during yesterday’s inspection days and during Christmas. Those beaver dens were found before high tide. But just because newer burrows haven’t been found yet doesn’t mean they aren’t there. According to Rammeloo from the Hunze en Aa’s water board, looking for the burrows is a difficult job. “At high water levels it is difficult to find the caves, the entrances are under water. We have to look for them with waders or try to feel with a stick. So we have not been able to find those caves yet. But you want find them when they are there.”
The water board is working on various beaver measures. “We place a digging-resistant mesh at castles in the summer months, so that beavers cannot dig through a dike. We have done this in various places. In terms of landscaping, we try to place the dike further away from the Hunze, so that the water does not flow directly against The dike is in place. But we have not yet reached this point everywhere. And in some places the Hunze is constricted between two dikes, so we have to pay close attention to digging there,” says Gabriël Rammeloo.
In addition to the dike inspections, Hunze en Aa’s is also busy draining the large amount of water. This happens, among other things, via the Dollard towards the sea. Rammeloo is hopeful about the coming days: “We expect that from tomorrow we will be able to get rid of the water at sea again. The Hunze is always chasing something, so it will always take a while before the area is emptier again.”