The MD of Bonnyville has been dealing with some busy beavers. It has been a challenging year for the Agricultural and Waste Services Department as they try and control the beaver population during one of the wettest years on record. The M.D. is urging residents to call with any flooding complaints so staff can log the issues and deal with situations in a timely manner. Crews have been busy all summer opening up culverts and dams throughout the M.D. The plan over the next couple of months is to clean out drainage ditches and creeks that are controlled by the M.D. in order to prepare for another wet spring. Staff will be contacting adjacent landowners advising of this action as they may be watering livestock from the water source. The M.D. is also working with the federal government to relax the regulations around the removal of beaver dams as the timelines preventing the removal are hindering flood mitigation. This year’s beaver control budget will top out around $100,000 when the final numbers are tallied.
