Beaver Dams Creating Flood Risk For Rancho Cordova Neighborhood

RANCHO CORDOVA (CBS13) — Beavers are being blamed for causing some significant damage in Rancho Cordova.

The beavers are toppling dozens of trees, creating a flood risk in the area.

On the surface, it looks like a peaceful pond, with trees, wildlife and a popular jogging path along Mather Boulevard, but a family of beavers has been busy making themselves at home.

"They have cut down about 40 trees to create a beaver den," said city spokeswoman Maria Kniestedt. "We think they do it at night because we'll come back the next day and there will be more trees down."

Beavers are known for their dam building skills, but in this case, they may be damning a neighborhood. The wildlife oasis is the city's storm runoff detention basin with a pumping station that protects the nearby neighborhood.

"Without this pump, there could be extensive flooding," she said.

Beavers are native to the region and are not endangered. They have been euthanized in other areas when they cause damage, which is something some residents are concerned could happen here. They'd prefer relocation over euthanization.

The city is consulting with a biologist who says relocation isn't an option because beavers don't do well in new habitats, but they're pledging no harm to the animals.

Instead, they're looking at more fencing and even caging the trees to prevent more damage.