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Trails committee authorized to install temporary duck boards as beaver flooding blocks Otter Slide trail
Summary
Following a report of flooding and a new sinkhole caused by beaver activity, the commission authorized the Trails Committee to install temporary duck boards to keep the Otter Slide trail passable while awaiting professional recommendations from Beaver Solutions.
Steve Tobin, chair of the Carlisle Trails Committee, told the commission that beaver activity has flooded sections of the Otter Slide trail and created a detour around a large puddle about two-tenths of a mile from Curve Street; he also reported a sinkhole that opened between the dam and Curve Street where beavers appear to have undercut the riverbank.
Tobin proposed installing four 8-foot duck boards in muddy bypass sections to keep the trail open while Beaver Solutions evaluates the situation. Conservation Administrator Meghan Sullivan told the commission that Beaver Solutions is expected to provide recommendations this week and that a full decision on beaver management is likely at the April 23 meeting.
Commissioner Dan Wells suggested a longer-term repair might involve filling the low spot with gravel but raised drainage concerns; Sullivan said emergency repairs might require a separate conversation. The commission voted unanimously to authorize the Trails Committee to place temporary duck boards at the discussed locations to maintain trail access while professional recommendations are awaited.
