Beavers may be nature's engineers,
but the talented residents of Webb's Mill Bog are wreaking havoc
with a globally rare habitat that is home to a number of rare plants.
Webbs Mill is located within Greenwood Wildlife Management Area
off Route 539 in Lacey Township.
Webb's Mill Bog is a Pinelands area
that is a haven for botanists, who come from all over to view globally
rare plants such as bog asphodel and pale beaksedge; a variety of
orchids; and carnivorous plants, just to name a few. But the bog
has been flooded for the past few years as a result of a beaver
dam and lodge that has - unfortunately - done just what beavers
intend it to do: flood the area, resulting in a large pond where
these rare plants once flourished.
Photo courtesy of Ralph Knutsen
The State had invested in this area
by constructing a boardwalk through the bog, so visitors can view
and photograph the abundant plantlife without walking through the
area, thereby preventing any accidental damage. As the photo shows,
the pond is at or over the walkway now, and is virtually "drowning"
much of the flora that had thrived here.
Photo courtesy of Ralph Knutsen
Here is the dam and lodge that is
the source of the problem. It is my understanding that the beavers
had been relocated by the State DEP in the past, but either returned
or new beavers moved in. This has been an ongoing problem, but according
to botanists specializing in the Pinelands, it is imperative the
water be drained this month in order for the endangered species
to survive.
One humane and cost-efficient method
might be to insert a pipe through the dam, which beavers do not
know how to stop up, then allowing for draining of the pond,according
to Russ Juelg of the Pinelands Preservation Alliance. The beavers
would get discouraged at the constant draining and eventually relocate,
at which tim the lodge could be permanently dismantled.
In the meantime, a sign has been
posted at the bog encouraging visitors to call State DEP and Fish
& Wildlife offices before it's too late:
Photo
courtesy of Ralph Knutsen
READERS: Feel free
to contact either the DEP Commissioner or Fish and Wildlife Director
with your concerns!
