CINCINNATI —
A group of beavers living inside an Metropolitan Sewer District Project overflow pipe caused an unexpected five-day delay in a pipeline replacement project along Riverside Drive.
Captured in grainy footage, the beavers were discovered using the pipe as their home. Shar-Day Smith, Metropolitan Sewer District Project Manager, described the situation as highly unusual.
“We didn’t expect to run into any issues with animals, let alone beavers. And we definitely didn’t think they would be living in or hanging out outside or inside of our outfall pipe,” Smith said.
The pipe, part of the stormwater overflow system, became an ideal den for the beavers, providing them with a durable home without the need to chew down trees or build a dam.
“For me, it was kind of a – it was a problem. I mean, I’m always solving problems, but, I mean, we were able to figure out a solution, but it did halt our operation for about five days until we figured out what to do with them,” Smith said.
The original plan was to fill the pipe with concrete and replace it with a new one, but MSD decided to leave that section of the pipe open to the Ohio River to accommodate the beavers.
The delay caused by the beavers lasted about five days, but the overall project, which has reduced Riverside Drive to one lane, is expected to restore two-way traffic by the end of November.