Beaver holes threatening dikes along the Maas and Waal rivers

Holes and burrows of beavers have been found in the dikes along the Maas and the Waal rivers, the Rivierenland water board reported on Wednesday. The holes in these dikes that protect people from water were discovered during an additional inspection.

The water board usually carries out a standard inspection before the high water season arrives to check whether the dikes are in order. However, beavers dig their tunnel systems deep into the dikes, and the entrances to their burrows are usually underwater and can only be found with additional inspection work.

Holes were found in the Waaldijk near Dodewaard and Ophemert and in the Maasdijk near Nederasselt and Dussen. In Dodewaard, it was discovered that a beaver was digging on the riverside where old pavement no longer met the slope of the dike properly.

According to a spokesperson for the water board who spoke with NOS, there are no consequences of the damage yet. However, she said it is important to address the holes quickly, “because you want people to keep their feet dry.”

The holes have been closed and covered with stones. Should this prove ineffective, the animals may be shot in the province of Gelderland though it remains an option of “last resort,” according to the spokesperson. In Noord-Brabant, however, where Dussen is situated, shooting beavers is prohibited.

In the working area of ​​the Rivierenland water board, approximately one million people live directly behind the river dikes. “This is a good area for the beaver,” according to the water board.

However, their population is growing. At the beginning of the year, the water board reported that the growing population of beavers posed a risk to the dikes along the major rivers of the region. The water board pointed out that restoration is a time-consuming process, and that once restored, beavers tend to come back quickly. It was also noted that anti-digging measures are costly and may only be effective at normal water levels.