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SOUTHBOROUGH, Mass. — Citing health and safety concerns, the Board of Health voted unanimously last week to approve a special trapping permit for beavers that have built a dam inside a culvert under Wood Street.
The culvert in question separates wetlands from the Sudbury River. This is not the first time beavers have made their nests in the area, DPW Superintendent Karen Galligan said, adding that the Board of Health voted to trap beavers last year. Now, a new family has moved into the same spot.
Beaver dams raise water levels, which can interfere with surrounding septic systems, said Public Health Director Paul Pisinski. "Water gets into the bottom of leeching areas, basically flushing out effluent before it has a chance to assimilate properly in the ground," he explained. The contaminated water then flows into the Sudbury River.
The beavers will be killed once trapped, as it is illegal to relocate trapped wildlife under Massachusetts law. Galligan said that even if the beavers could be relocated, they would likely find their way back to their nests.
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