I posted several times on the problems I was having with my pipe spillways clogging up. I have an 8" "culvert" spillway and an 8" standpipe overflow pipe. Both have clogged in recent weeks. Here are my previous posts:
http://www.pondboss.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=108112#Post108112http://www.pondboss.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=109105#Post109105I was down at the pond this weekend and discovered some red maple trees near the shore that had been chopped down by beavers.
After doing some research and talking to the local critter trapper, it seems that beavers instinctively work to stop running water and were apparently irritated with the sound of the water going through my spillways On closer inspection of my culvert spillway, I saw where the beaver had acutally dug under the trash guard and stuff tree limbs in the pipe. The limbs then grabbed hold of all the leaves and moss floating through and pretty soon you have water overflow. I am now fashioning a bottom to the trash guard to prevent the tunneling.
I still have not figured out how they gummed up the stand-pipe, but the circumstantial evidence tells me it was the beaver. (Anyone ever see a beaver shimmy up a metal pole?)
I retained the local trapper to rid my pond of the beaver. He told me he prefers to hunt them by moonlight. So when the next full moon comes along I will have an update.