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Keizer resident presses council over flooding from beaver dams; city says private property owners must act
Summary
A resident whose backyard has flooded said previous city responses were insufficient. City staff and the attorney told the council the city lacks authority to remove beavers on private property and will instead provide resources and an informational mailer to residents along Claggett Creek.
A Keizer resident told the City Council on Sept. 2 that persistent flooding at a property on Claggett Creek has left yards underwater and caused algae and mosquito problems. The resident said prior promises of site surveys and a pond-leveling pipe had not been fulfilled.
Devin Kratzberger spoke on behalf of property owners Jose and Loretta Zavala and asked, "So what's gonna be done with the Beaver Dam?" He said the water was "almost up to the retaining wall" and that private property and school grounds were affected.
City staff and the city attorney responded that state law treats beavers as wildlife and that the city cannot remove beavers on private property. City Attorney Mr. Lawyer (transcript: "mister Lawyer") and staff said the responsibility rests with property owners who must obtain a licensed wildlife trapper or install a pond-leveling pipe in coordination with neighbors or the landowner where the dam sits.
City Manager Brown told the council the city had researched state and federal resources and offered what assistance it could, but could not take direct action on private property. The attorney advised the resident to contact the Salem-Keizer School District facilities staff if the school property is affected and suggested contacting elected school board representative Chrissy Hudson.
Council members asked staff to take two practical steps: (1) mail an informational flyer and resource list to residents along Claggett Creek (and Labish Ditch as requested) explaining options and contacts, and (2) provide contact information for school-district facilities and the neighborhood association to help mediate property-owner coordination. Staff agreed to send the mailer. No city-funded removal or trapping was authorized.
