# Beaver Deceiver Before Columbus arrived in America, bringing the fur trade with him, Beavers numbered in at around 100-400 million in North America. During the peak of this era, the largest North American rodent nearly went extinct. Conservation efforts saved them - and today, the population ranges from 10 to 15 million. Beaver fur doesn't fetch for as much as it used to - and in many scenarios - lower than the cost of actually catching them. However, they are still trapped and killed in the US today. Academic consensus agrees that beavers have big benefits to the ecosystems they live in. Once they build a dam, the water level in the area rises, transforming general forests or plains to more wetland-like areas. Wetlands can support a variety of species - and therefore have much stronger biodiversity than the pre-dam biomes. Additionally, dams act as filtration systems, catching sediment in waste in the wall. This also slows the flow of water, preventing rapid flash-floods by acting as a temporary buffer. When the beavers nearly went extinct, there was large environmental damage. Many rivers and streams were supported by the higher water levels created by the dams. Without them, general biodiversity and water quality took a decline. Although they bring many benefits, the rise in water levels introduced by beavers can harm public infrastructure, farmland, and more. If a dam is built by a river that might spill into the highway, it can create dangerous road conditions for drivers. This type of problem is the cause of many beaver trappings in the US and Canada. Counties, or citizens who want the beavers off their land, will hire people to trap and kill the offending beavers. However, with how successful and common beavers are, this isn't a real long term solution for the issue. Instead, a new beaver family will take this as an admission to build another dam in the same area. Thankfully, beaver experts have found that the more friendly solution is the better one. The problem these dams bring is that they raise the water level in places we don't want it raised. If we could maintain the flow of water we had previously, we could keep the water levels at whatever we desire, while allowing the beaver to peacefully coexist in its dam. This introduces the Beaver Deceiver. This device is essentially a long pipe that allows water to circumvent the dam, and maintain its flow. These water control devices have been very successful in solving the long-term problem of dams causing flooding, and typically require little maintenance, along with being inexpensive. Beavers are instinctually attracted to the sound of running water - so you might be wondering why they don't just go and cover up the Deceiver. The devices are typically placed with an intake far downstream from the dam, making the flow silent and invisible to the beaver. This device is in use by numerous contractors today - and although some local governments still insist on trapping (ironically, a big problem in Canada, which recognizes the beaver as its national animal) - it allows us to keep beavers happy, alive, and supporting our ecosystems. 03/09/2026 [Eager: The Surprising, Secret Life of Beavers and Why They Matter](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39345591-eager) [Flow Device - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flow_device)