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The Town of Oneida has a beaver problem.
The pesky critters have staked claim to waterways in the heart of Oneida’s industrial section, and evidence of their residence can be found throughout the portion of the Pine Creek watershed that falls within the town proper.
Beavers’ tree-falling, dam-building habits are amusing, but for landowners dealing with the varmints — and authorities fielding the complaints — the humor has ended.
“They’re reeking havoc down here,” Oneida Police Department Cpl. Gerry “Greasey” Garrett said as he surveyed the damage in the South Lake Drive area of Ponderosa Estates. There, the beavers have built numerous dams in the small branches feeding Lake Elizabeth. And they’re building faster than crews can tear them out.
Using a backhoe and manpower, the Oneida Street Department destroyed a series of dams on the south end of the lake, including one built inside a culvert beneath South Lake Drive. Within days, however, a large dam had been constructed in the stream, a second was underway, and the culvert dam was nearly rebuilt.
The result is a virtual swamp on the south side of South Lake Drive, with the water having already reached a stack of firewood at a nearby residence and threatening to climb higher onto the lawn.
“We’ve been battling those things for several years, trying to get the upper hand on them,” Oneida Chief of Police Mike Cross said. “We’ve actually done some trapping and removed some of them from the Ponderosa area in the past. But now they’ve just exploded.”
From Oneida City Park to the city limits in the Verdun area, evidence of the beavers is plentiful along Pine Creek. And the varmints are proving bold, with some living along the portion of the creek that flows through the Armstrong flooring plant and more building a large dam in Litton Fork Branch just outside HBD Industries near Industrial Lane.
Beavers build dams to provide habitat for underwater homes, where it’s difficult for predators to reach them.
The town is combatting the nuisance with the assistance of professional trappers recommended by the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency. Efforts to trap the animals began over the weekend.
“In just one weekend, we’ve already had some success, so we definitely think they know what they’re doing,” Cross said.