Both of our largest ponds are still dry, despite the rain (0.90") a week ago. At least I now have "mud" at the bottom of the ponds!
I recently created a small temporary dam in the creek with sandbags to impound some water for fire season.
I went to check on it yesterday, and to fix any erosion problems.
I immediately noticed lots of raccoon tracks in the mud as those fat b*astards are apparently enjoying the pool I created for them.
However, when I stepped down to make repairs, I notice some hind footprints. Obviously, I didn't examine the tracks closely enough, because these tracks were from a medium-sized beaver.
It looks like he examined my temporary dam, paying particular attention to the two places that had flowing water. He has not yet made any "improvements" to my little dam. I am really hoping that he does create a nice beaver dam upstream, because if he impounds 2-3 feet of water in the creek, then I should have plenty of water to draw for fire suppression and tree watering throughout the summer.
