Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1915-03-19
INTERESTING PROCESS or a
BEAVER COLONY AT WORK.

Enos Mnis. author u IN Beave
world. writes on "A Beaver Colony d
WORK in M Countryside Masazins 70
Msrch lie aays IN part:
During the summer a party or tn
froken Tree beavers abandoned tn
noiony and moved 20 other scenes
Inmnlcy buiit half mile down stream
while tho others with one exception
Travelled 70 an abandoned heager col
ouy on tho first stream 20 the north
overland this place was only half {
mlie from Broken Tree, but By watel
route. down stream TO tha forks ther
np the other stream TO the colony
che distance WIS three miles This
was an excellent place to Use, and
with but litne repair an Abandoned
dam WAS made better than d new one
All summer u lone beaver Of thls COLI
onv famhied about once ne return
ed 10 the Broken Tree colony. Final
IS be cast his iot with The long-os.
tabiishcd colony several miloa down
stream.
i.nte this summer q huge iandslide
occurred on the stream above prokea
Tree pond. The slide material block
"a The channel and formed large
deep pond. prom this dam q debris
ana the torn slope from which il
slipped came such quantities u sedi-
meni that il appeared as If the pond
nigh, be nilea Every remaining coli
onist worked dry and night q build a
dam on the stream just above tnelr
pond This new pond caught and
stopped the sediment. II WAS appss-
entity built for this purpose.
The celonlsts who remained repais-
"a only two Of the five houses and
between these they piled green aspen
and willow FOR winter food But be-
fore tree was cut they built 4 dam
to tie north Of their home Water for
this was obtained by a ditch or canal
dug from the stream at "a point above
the sediment-catching pond when
the new pond was full low grassy
ridge about 20 feet across separated
y from the old ONE a canal about
three feet wide and from one rs two
feet deep was cut throush the ridge,
"a connect tho two ponds The aspens
harvested were taken from (, slope be-
yenG The north shore OF the new pond.
The canal und the new pond greedy
shortened the land distance over which
The trees had to be dragged. and this
nade harvesting safer. speedler and
saSief
Occasionally the beavers did day
inns werk While on the lookout one
iflernoon am old beaver waddled up
hc slope and stopped beside large
lapen that had been left standing by
he other workers. The beaver took
. bite II It's bark. Evidently he
ennd g good. for after eating he
eratehed "a large pile Of trash against
he hase ~ tree, una from his plat
arm gnawed the tree of. This aspen
tas 10 inches Ia diameter at the
.olnt cut on. The diameter Of trees
faualls eat is from three 70 siN inches
'hc largest 81 their cutting that
ser measure was a cottonwood with
diameter OF AZ Inches on large
f,cs the rough bark is not eaten. but
som the average tree which is fell
"a for food al of the bark and
mail percentase ~ the wood b eaten.
Ant day another beaver cut mum
- ~ small aspens and drsggcd these
80 or two az time. to the pond.
,ficr a dozen or more were collected
u were pushed OF into the water
,gninst this small mft the beaver
laeed his farepawS and pushed Il by
winning 70 The foodplle near the
enter ~ the old pond.
At the close Of harvest the beavers
4 Broken rree colony pond covered
ayir houses above waterllnc with mind
.hlch they dredgcd from the pond
round tie foundations os their houses.
am.times this MUD was moved Is
lsir torepsws. somctines rs hook
IS the tail under and dragging Il.
hen lhey dus chsnnel In the bottom
as 4 ...t.f..k. aa..fs....t..l &c.. an.
onsez 20 the dam. Parallel with ths
am they dug vat another channel
b eSvavutca material was placed an
~ top ~ thv dam They ais" made
shaih,w ditch IN the bottom that ex-
INDEED from the hooss 90 ire eun,l thet
nitea the two ponds.
HORSES FOR WAR.