December 15, 2024: A Whole New World

It was last December when I first noticed that beavers were constructing a new dam on the stream that flows out of the Hamlin Town Forest on the west side of Lake Wicwas (A Pond is Born, December 31, 2023).  At that point the beavers had already raised the water level by more than a foot.

Dec 2023:  Note the height of the rocks at the end of the stone wall entering the pond from the right.

Over the course of the past year I stopped by regularly to observe the changes the beavers were making to the area.  Come April, not much had changed other than a repair to the area that was overflowing on the left side of the dam in December.

The repair had brought the water level back up a few inches.

By June the beavers had made significant improvements to the dam, raising it and extending to the left enough to raise the water another six inches, which enlarged the pond significantly.

Note the stone wall now - only the last two stones are visible.

My next observation was in August:

August

Not much had changed other than lots of plant growth.  It was a fairly dry summer, so without much rain the water level wasn't at the top of their dam so they had little interest in raising it.

The last two rocks indicate a water level similar to June.

In October, with leaves off the trees, more of the pond was visible and I could see how large it had become.  

As the pond expanded, it flooded the roots of nearby trees resulting in their demise as shown buy the brown needles on the White Pines:

The trees on what is now an island died in less than a year.

When you see tall dead trees in the middle of a wet meadow you can be pretty confident the area was once a beaver pond - and may well be again in the future.

We remained very dry through November so the dam didn't need much attention, which gave the beavers time to work on gathering food and fortifying their lodge for winter. 

They built their lodge against a large boulder that is now an island.

And they cut down and brought out to their lodge enough trees for their entire winter food supply.  

That collection of branches in the water by the lodge is their winter pantry.

Where did all the building materials and foodstuff come from?

Here's the answer.

Larger trees were also felled and all the branches taken off and stuck in the mud beside the lodge.

There's not much left on the southwest side of the pond.

A year and a half ago this pond was just a wet meadow with a stream running through it.

My most recent visit was this past Thursday, after we received 2.7" of rain.  

Now the water level has risen and breached the top of the dam.

They've probably already been out to repair it - I'll know at my next visit.  One more detail:  Did you notice the tree right in the center of the dam on all the previous pictures?  Well, it won't be there much longer as they've started to take it down.  I'm not sure why they didn't finish.

Those last two rocks at the end of the stone wall have just about disappeared now.  Beavers in New Hampshire need four feet of water at their lodge to ensure their under-water entry hole won't freeze; they need to go in and out all winter for food, and maybe some dam and lodge repair.  I can only assume the beavers have created a pond large and deep enough to get them safely through the winter.  The pod cast "Something Wild" recently did a story titled "What's it Like Inside a Beaver Lodge?"  It's definitely worth a listen!

When beavers create a pond they give birth to an entire new world for dozens of plants and animals - probably more like hundreds.  Some of the obvious ones are the ducks, frogs, turtles, and another similar creatures we see, but also many other less visible animals that are associated with wetlands such as dragonflies, salamanders, and a multitude of other aquatic and semi-aquatic plants and animals.  It's truly a gift to so many species.

If you get out to the Hamlin Forest this winter be sure to check out this beaver pond as well as several others in that forest - there's always something interesting to see!

One last note:  The ice in some coves on Wicwas is 4" thick, enough for skating if you're careful, and the surface is fabulous.  If you go out, be sure to take the proper precautions and equipment, and check the ice thickness regularly.  

My friends the otter triplets were out enjoying it too - before it froze!

Yes, that's open water out there - be safe!