Book your calendars for Tuesday September 15 and join us to celebrate the completion of the Beaver Boardwalk! Plans are still being developed, but here's what we have so far. The first 3 activities will be at the Reimer Drive boardwalk access at the east end of Maxwell Lake, starting in late afternoon.
Colouring contest winners
Official ribbon cutting
BBQ
Beavers - slideshow at the Hinton Library
Dusk viewing of beaver feeding at Maxwell Lake
This is a community event that is open to all. Watch for further details coming over the next few months.
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
4 new signs coming soon
Work has begun on 4 new interpretive signs for the Beaver Boardwalk. Two of the signs will incorporate art from the children's art contest that recently concluded. The 1st will feature flowers of the boardwalk and the 2nd will look at larger mammals - the coyote and the white-tailed deer.
The other 2 signs will highlight waterfowl and owls of the area.
Speaking of owls, recent sightings of barred owl and great gray owl have excited birders. Other owl species recorded in the area are saw-whet owl, boreal owl, and northern pygmyowl. These last 3 species are very small and nest in old woodpecker cavities. We don't yet have a confirmed record for great horned owl, but it's likely this large owl frequents the area as well.
The other 2 signs will highlight waterfowl and owls of the area.
Speaking of owls, recent sightings of barred owl and great gray owl have excited birders. Other owl species recorded in the area are saw-whet owl, boreal owl, and northern pygmyowl. These last 3 species are very small and nest in old woodpecker cavities. We don't yet have a confirmed record for great horned owl, but it's likely this large owl frequents the area as well.
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Construction completed
Overall we now have 3 km of continuous boardwalk to enjoy, with main access from either the Sutherland Avenue or Reimer Drive trailheads. This completes the Beaver Boardwalk project. There are no plans to expand in the future.
If you haven't already checked out the new sections please give the boardwalk a visit. I'm sure you will be pleased.
Raising the Waterdeck
OK bad pun, but there was no way to call if a roof. The beaver dam at the west end of Maxwell Lake broke last winter, draining the pond. And because the dam contols the level of Maxwell Lake, the lake dropped by more than 2 feet. When we installed the new wharf we had to estimate how much the water would come up when the beavers repaired their dam. I underestimated by about 4 inches.
Last Saturday the lake was back up to within a few inches of the wharf boards and waves were already slopping onto the deck. So I spent a day removing the deck, adding another layer of 2 x 8 joists, and then replacing the deck. Now we have several inches of freeboard.
I've had people ask what would happen if the beavers build their dam higher. They aren't likely to do that because they would flood their own home inside the lodge, which is only a few inches above the water. If the beavers decide to renovate there is a safety valve at the east end of Maxwell Lake. When the beaver dam is full the excess water flows both over the dam and out the east end of the lake toward the Hardisty Creek watershed. So even if the beavers raised the dam the water level wouldn't go higher. They wouldn't dam the east end of the lake because the water isn't flowing noisily. Beavers build dams in response to the sound of running water. No noise, no dam.
Last Saturday the lake was back up to within a few inches of the wharf boards and waves were already slopping onto the deck. So I spent a day removing the deck, adding another layer of 2 x 8 joists, and then replacing the deck. Now we have several inches of freeboard.
I've had people ask what would happen if the beavers build their dam higher. They aren't likely to do that because they would flood their own home inside the lodge, which is only a few inches above the water. If the beavers decide to renovate there is a safety valve at the east end of Maxwell Lake. When the beaver dam is full the excess water flows both over the dam and out the east end of the lake toward the Hardisty Creek watershed. So even if the beavers raised the dam the water level wouldn't go higher. They wouldn't dam the east end of the lake because the water isn't flowing noisily. Beavers build dams in response to the sound of running water. No noise, no dam.
Friday, May 22, 2009
Fly-catching warblers
On Wednesday May 20 I walked the Maxwell Lake portion of the boardwalk just after lunch. The 25 cm of snow we received on Monday was still melting, and a lot of birds were taking advantage of the bare areas around the lake. The highlight was dozens of yellow-rumped warblers (maybe as many as 150 in all) along the lakeshore all around the lake. The warblers were fly-catching and gleaning for adult chironomids.
I watched warblers fly under the decking on the boardwalk to pick off chironomids clinging to the stringers. The birds were very tame and allowed me to approach within a few meters. Later that day I found a dead male yellow-rumped warbler that didn't survive the storm. Perhaps that's why the birds were so tame - they were likely desperate to find food and the chironomid hatch must have seemed like a feast to them after days of snow and cold.
I watched warblers fly under the decking on the boardwalk to pick off chironomids clinging to the stringers. The birds were very tame and allowed me to approach within a few meters. Later that day I found a dead male yellow-rumped warbler that didn't survive the storm. Perhaps that's why the birds were so tame - they were likely desperate to find food and the chironomid hatch must have seemed like a feast to them after days of snow and cold.
Construction is almost done
It's been awhile since my first post. A lot has happened and we have been very busy indeed. Most of the 3rd and final phase of the beaver boardwalk has been completed. About 100 m of decking on the connector south of Maxwell Lake remains to be fastened down. Add curbing and the bulk of the construction will be done, hopefully by the end of this weekend. Special thanks to
Rocky Morin who once again took care of the lion's share of the construction.
Celebration! But the work isn't all done yet. I underestimated how much the water level dropped in Maxwell Lake last winter when the beaver dam broke. Now the new goose nesting platform is underwater. Good thing the geese decided to nest elsewhere this year. Do you think they may have known something? Raising that will have to wait for the winter.
And we're down to about 3" of freeboard on the new wharf. So this weekend we're going to unscrew the decking and add another layer of stringers to raise the wharf about 7". That should keep the wharf higher than the lake will likely rise.
Rocky Morin who once again took care of the lion's share of the construction.
Celebration! But the work isn't all done yet. I underestimated how much the water level dropped in Maxwell Lake last winter when the beaver dam broke. Now the new goose nesting platform is underwater. Good thing the geese decided to nest elsewhere this year. Do you think they may have known something? Raising that will have to wait for the winter.
And we're down to about 3" of freeboard on the new wharf. So this weekend we're going to unscrew the decking and add another layer of stringers to raise the wharf about 7". That should keep the wharf higher than the lake will likely rise.
Monday, December 1, 2008
Where's Winter?
Yesterday I walked across the 3" of ice on Maxwell Lake to check out the route for the 2009 Beaver Boardwalk expansion. It will connect the short boardwalk at the east end of the lake with the main boardwalk complex at the west end via a wetland corridor south of the lake.
Hinton gets lots of Chinooks. The air temperatre was +10 C and the wind was strong from the west. In places water ponded on top of the ice, and ravens stunted and gyrated in the gales. There's no snow and there wasn't much surface moisture before the ground froze.
The lake surface is gritty with wind-borne dust from Brule Lake west of Hinton. Every winter the winds deposit a little more dust ground from the limestone peaks by the forces of nature. As a result, the soil around Hinton is very calcareous on the surface. Plants that like low pH soil and can take the winter chinooks tough it out in the short growing season. You have to be really dedicated to produce a garden in Hinton.
So when will winter arrive in force? The forecast says flurries over the next several days. Maybe we will have a white December after all.
Hinton gets lots of Chinooks. The air temperatre was +10 C and the wind was strong from the west. In places water ponded on top of the ice, and ravens stunted and gyrated in the gales. There's no snow and there wasn't much surface moisture before the ground froze.
The lake surface is gritty with wind-borne dust from Brule Lake west of Hinton. Every winter the winds deposit a little more dust ground from the limestone peaks by the forces of nature. As a result, the soil around Hinton is very calcareous on the surface. Plants that like low pH soil and can take the winter chinooks tough it out in the short growing season. You have to be really dedicated to produce a garden in Hinton.
So when will winter arrive in force? The forecast says flurries over the next several days. Maybe we will have a white December after all.
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