Beaver activity declining in Campbell Lake area
Observation: Campbell Creek between Campbell Lake and New Seward Highway. Beaver activity on Campbell Creek is normally high and often destructive but has been, for all intents and indications, nearly non existent for the last 5 months. Taku Lake normally has a family but none this year. There have been only two indications really that beavers are even in the drainage, one in late winter during a thaw showing up as two birches cut down on the creek bank and early spring three cottonwoods gnawed but not taken down on Taku Lake. Other than that I have seen no beavers at all nor cut/gnawed trees. Dave Battle at ADFG is puzzled, having no idea why this would be so and indicating no trapping or removal programs were in effect. It is mostly just of interest along with, admittedly, some relief as the beavers tended to cause a fair amount of both tree damage and in the case of Taku Lake, trail damage due to flooding. A suspicion for the downturn is that we have had an unusually dry 12 - 14 months on the trail leading to low water levels in several areas. Don't know: As an aside there are indications that Chester Creek drainage has had somewhat of the same experience. A commuter I know has observed much the same condition on that drainage as I have. I did observe, late summer some cutting at the East end of Westchester Lagoon while photo documenting another aspect of the trail but it is the only beaver activity I am aware of on that drainage. Dave Battle indicates that JBER base has normal beaver activity and possibly University Lake may as well. Jeff Schmitz, Taku Campbell Community Council
