# Beavers in Boulder Creek



## Chief Niwot (Oct 13, 2003)

We have a secton that we like to paddle, when it runs below castle rock to above the narrrows. This weekend in clearing for the runoff, we came across a new beaver dam above Rogers park, it is 5-6' tall across the whole creek.

This beaver of course is filling the creek with trees. :-( It will be interesting to see if it holds when the water comes over Barker. Regardless, the bottom part of this run is going to have wood now. 

There is another Beaver dam that came in llast year further up stream about a mile down from Barker. Sothey are spreading

Not sure CDOT wants those beavers in there. I am going to let them know today. Anyone else come across beavers before in your creek run?


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## rpludwig (Feb 28, 2011)

*Watch yourself*

Beaver Attacks Man (Watch Beaver Chases Man Holding Camara) - YouTube

Some beavers are a huge nuisance. Colorado State employs a trapper to remove beavers from water ways. they are not relocated but destroyed, so try to live with them before calling in the stormtroopers. The beavers are aggressive so be careful.


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## huck it (Jul 23, 2011)

The park at the base of the canyon is always full of beavers during the summer!


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## glenn (May 13, 2009)

It's pretty simple. Don't displace wildlife if you can avoid it. Either the beaver dam will hold and be come a collection point keeping the lower stream clear, or it will blow out and you will have to deal with the wood that was in the creek anyways.


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## Chief Niwot (Oct 13, 2003)

Oh, we didn't even think about messing with the beav. The dam is way bigger then anything we would want to touch. He is cutting down lots of trees, flooding out live trees and it is along the highway. After never seing one in my 20+ years in this stretch, we now have two dams in two years. I know nature finds away, but I have to wonder if someone had a catch and release program there?


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## Roy (Oct 30, 2003)

I've encountered beaver on Boulder Creek. I don't think they were expecting somebody to come floating down the creek, so I surprised them coming around a corner where they were sunning themselves on some rocks. Actually, I was pretty suprised myself!

Of course, this was back in the '90s, so they were woolly beavers, unlike what you're more likely to come across these days...


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## BilloutWest (Jan 25, 2013)

I couldn't take it and had to research the outcome in the video in the second post. Was unable to do that but did determine that it was from Russia and it is from the Tver region, northwest of Moscow.
This was apparently not the incident where a man in Belarus was KILLED by a beaver recently. 




> Last year in the US two girls were mauled by a beaver in a lake in Virginia as they swam. They suffered serious bite and scratch injuries. A man was also attacked in New York and an elderly woman in Washington.
> 
> In 2003 in Belarus a farm manager and farmhand were bitten by a rabid beaver as they tried to chase it from a barn. They survived the attack.
> 
> Beavers are the second largest rodents in the world


Shoot, last year in Washington a hiker was killed by a mountain goat.


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## BCxp (Jun 3, 2012)

Generally trappers aren't used unless the beaves cause blockage to diversions or severely restrict downstream calls.
Beaves are very territorial and protective. They can be surprisingly aggressive.

Had one mount my aft deck last year over 100yds. from his homestead. Rolled him off then a great slapping contest ensued and made for a fun low-brace drill. 

Rumor has it that declining water volumes are increasing beaver hissy fits.


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## BilloutWest (Jan 25, 2013)

BCxp said:


> Rumor has it that declining water volumes are increasing beaver hissy fits.


Well none of us should be saying anything bad about beavers.


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## BIODTL (Aug 4, 2010)

*Beavers?*

Beavers are known to have some of the softest fur on the planet, and if they don't have any fur, well that's ok too.


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## rehamxela (Jul 20, 2008)

love to see beavers while on the river!


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## BCxp (Jun 3, 2012)

"Life & water get good, when you hug a beaver."

Jeremiah Johnson on contemplating Ten-Mile.


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## cayo 2 (Apr 20, 2007)

Chief Niwot,

What is this section you are talking about, some bit above the gnarly part of the canyon just below Barker? What is it like?

About 15 years ago I was paddling a T -Canyon on Cherry Creek just above Monaco, not somewhere you would expect to see a kayak or a beaver.This huge beaver was tryng to build a dam there he got all aggressive trying to make himself look big and surfacing and slapping his tail real hard.He made contact with my paddle. I think he tried to take a bite out of it.I 've seen the other kind of beaver on Boulder and Clear Creeks too. Prefer the well kempt variety to the completely bald alien lookin ' ones ..for what that is worth...


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## Chief Niwot (Oct 13, 2003)

Ha, safe to say, we all like beavers, as long as we don't get hurt.  The section, I am referring too is about 2.5 miles below Barker. This is 2.5 mile creeky section with fast class II+ and a couple III's and one III+. It starts at Castlerock, past the summer access road to Ridge rd., through Rogers Park, pulling out before the Gnarrows begins above Boulder Falls. It is a fun afterwork section for us locals for a couple weeks on good flow years.


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## Chief Niwot (Oct 13, 2003)

The beaver dam has blown out with the high water. I have seen no evidence of the beaver or rebuilding yet.

BTW, the Castlerock to rogers park is flowing nice. It is a short 2 mile, fun Class III creek run that can be easily lapped by beginner creekers or non gnar boaters.


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## Dave Frank (Oct 14, 2003)

AJ, I think Riley is ready for this stretch. Well hook up soon to join you on that. Beavers have been hard at work through town, but making suspiciously clean cuts


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## Chief Niwot (Oct 13, 2003)

Dave, now is the time to run it! We plan to run it this evening, meeting at 4:30 at the take-out, if you guys want to join. We are planning on running it twice.


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## Jefe (Jul 27, 2007)

These are some pic's from a few weeks ago before the high water hit.


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## Dave924 (Jun 18, 2011)

*Beaver on Boulder Creek a few years ago*

Not too many years ago I made a trip down BC and ran into a beaver.. it was shocked to see us.. the guy next to the beaver was probably more embarrassed then she was.. goes to show you never know what you'll see in Boulder and on Boulder Creek...

And before anyone asks.. the beaver wasn't one that you'd typically want to see ;-)


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## chrispy (Apr 6, 2004)

I've seen beaver in golden.... As well as the confluence of Clear Creek and the Platte, at 3 in the morning and he was aggressive slapping his tail.


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