De-watering demolition defends against flooding

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Luke Hill
  • 2 Bomb Wing
BARKSDALE AIR FORCE BASE, La. --  Airmen from the 2nd Civil Engineer Squadron Explosive Ordnance Disposal flight detonated explosives under two troublesome beaver dams in the east reservation on Barksdale Air Force Base, July 29.

The dams, which can cause major flooding problems, are not actually where the beavers live.

"Beavers don't live in dams," said Michael Gibson, natural resources office biological scientist. "They live in dens which they build in all kinds of areas; we are specifically targeting the dams. We are not using explosives to destroy beaver dens."

The process of removing beaver dams is called "de-watering" and is necessary to keep the environment healthy and safe.

"Beavers will expand their habitat as far as nature will allow, and they will keep building their dams higher and higher if not stopped," said Gibson. "By controlling the beaver population, we can help prevent flooding and damage to infrastructure. The flooding also drowns the trees. We lost around 10 acres of trees here because of flooding due to beavers dams."

The flooding and burrowing caused by beavers can also affect the safety of residents on base.

"The beavers can be a real problem if they aren't controlled," said Gibson. "Because beavers like to burrow, they can cause damage to roads and comprise the integrity of our levees out here."

Flooding causes forced migration of animals like venomous snakes, alligators and mosquitos which are going to expand their habitat into regions they are not wanted.

"During the latest flooding we had on base, I saw lots of venomous snakes in our housing division," said Senior Airman Buck Taylor, 2nd CES EOD technician.

During the de-watering, safety is a primary concern. EOD Airmen are explosive experts and they make sure they and other people are safe during the operation.

"We have a list of organizations on and off base that we notify several hours in advance before conducting explosive operations," said Taylor. "We calculate the blast radius and danger area before an explosion and, we make sure all personnel are out of the area before detonation. We can block roads and do whatever is necessary to make sure the area is secure."

EOD Airmen have a dangerous but necessary job. Whether it's overseas disarming dangerous bombs or destroying troublesome beaver dams, Barksdale EOD Airmen ensure the base is safe for all personnel, and the east reservation stays beautiful and accessible.