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There are five eligible activities under Nova Scotia’s Agricultural Biodiversity Program:
- Wetland Restoration
- Farm Pond Construction
- Beaver Pond Management
- Flushing Bars
- Invasive Species Control (Purple Loosestrife)
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Beaver Pond Management 
Clemson beaver pond levelers controls the water levels of beaver ponds.
Beavers are hard working creatures that create valuable habitat for waterfowl and other wildlife. Unfortunately sometimes their enthusiastic dam building can result in the flooding of surrounding land, whether it is farmland, forest stands, roads, railway beds or trail systems. These problematic side effects of a beaver’s presence often lead to land owners and land users trying to trap and remove the beaver.
Removal of the beaver is usually not the best solution for all parties involved. It is usually only a temporary solution for the landowner as another beaver is likely to replace the previous one. Furthermore, removing or killing the beaver is certainly not beneficial to the beaver, and the wildlife that benefits from the habitat that the beaver creates also loses out.
Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC) works with landowners on sites where a beaver’s presence has become problematic. On these sites DUC uses a device called a Clemson Beaver Pond Leveler, which allows DUC and the landowner to control the water level of the pond instead of the beaver.
The Clemson Beaver Pond Leveler consists of a water intake pipe that is installed in a pond above the dam, which takes water through the dam. A 90-degree elbow connects this pipe with an outlet pipe. The height of this outlet controls the water level of the pond. With this tool beavers cannot detect water leaving the pond because it is silent and the flow is gradual enough that the beaver is not motivated to build a higher dam.
Through the use of the Clemson Beaver Pond Leveler the landowners can prevent flooding by having control over the water level and the beaver does not have to be removed. In addition the productive habitat also remains for use by waterfowl and other wildlife.
