Looking Down on Upper Dam - Click on Photo to Enlarge (photo by Ed Orr)
On Thursday I posed the question to you as to whether the dam collapses were and Act of Vandalism or and Act of God. Well I am pleased to report that God is still Sovereign in the affairs of men.
Massachusetts Environmental Police (not to be confused with the Sovereign God of the Universe) have ruled the series of dam collapses to be due to natural causes.
The Town’s FaceBook page says: “The Ayer Police in a joint investigation with the Massachusetts Environmental Police have determined that the breach of beaver dams which caused a portion of Oak Ridge Drive to be damaged and the closing of Sandy Pond beach was a natural occurrence.”
I eagerly await some formalized report that clarifies these findings. Having visited the site I am overwhelmed by the devastation.
While waiting, I ponder the Sovereignty of God, “Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain?” Psalm 2:1
Friends of Flannagan Pond 
I am having a very hard time buying the finding…Who is in who’s pocket
I have …way..to many questions……Just “sweep” it under Oakridge DR
Karon;
I share your frustration. That is why I mentioned that I am eager to see a report of the findings. The one thing I take comfort in is knowing that the Massachusetts Environmental Police have no skin in the game; they have nothing to gain politically, financially, or in any other way I can imagine from this determination. They wouldn’t give a hoot about Ayer politics, but they would care about environmental sabotage.
When I called the Police Detective on Thursday, they weren’t even looking at it. ConsCom has been in contact with Mass Wildlife and the Mass Environmental Police since the dam situation arose.
What do other readers think?
Chuck
There could have been no other finding for these reasons:
1. The damage was massive enough to have washed away evidence
2. There was a big rain storm that would have washed away any evidence left after #1
3. It took 5 days for investigators to visit the site
They concluded due to the age of the dam (excess of 20 yrs) and the fact it only partially collapsed, that it was an unfortunate but natural occurrence. – I take issue with this. This assumes beavers do no ongoing maintenance which we know to be false. If you look close at the pictures or visit the dam I challenge you to find rotted wood and soft spots. What is left looks like it was made by human big machinery. If they contend age is the issue then the rest of the dam must be brought down because it has failed and proven to be unsafe! Also, the state should be informing other towns that beaver dams 20 years old or older are prone to collapse! The Environmental Police said that when beavers hear or know the dam is leaking they repair it. Since a large beaver lodge is located right next to the upper dam wouldn’t they have known the dam was failing? The Environmental Police also made note of the lower dam being 6′ to 8′ deep. As for the upper dam, the partial collapse is at least 15′ wide but even deeper than the lower dam. It may be partial but it is huge.
I ask this:
Who is responsible for inspecting or knowing the status of such dams.
Is there any existing report on record for this dam? if not why not.
Should beaver dams or their resulting pond over a certain size have a management plan? Yes I know we have been waiting for 6 years for a dam management plan for the Balich Pond Dam. Sounds silly but why not define what is safe for any dam whether man made or done by beavers and when the amount of water being held back becomes unsafe why not release some water or even better why not put in place devices that essentially regulate the water level. They do exist. Go down route 2 towards Leominster and on the right side you will see this.
is there any accountability
By the way the partial collapse in the upper dam was 30′.
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