Camera on King & Aurora

Wednesday, June 29, 2022

Beaver dam and bridge out at Cawthra Mulock

Photos by Barry Wallace

Big breach in beaver dam drains large pond

A large section of the 10' high beaver dam at the Cawthra Mulock Nature Reserve, on the King Township side of Bathurst Street, just north of the Miller Sideroad, has collapsed. The dam was higher than many had ever seen but was unable to hold back the large pond's huge amount of water, which was continuously fed by a local stream. A recent rainstorm was probably the straw that broke the camel's back.

Emergency signage warns visitors that the stream west of the damaged dam, has lost its bridge, but several pieces of downed trees have been stretched across the stream, likely by recent visitors. Some adult visitors may be able to get across the makeshift passage, but seniors and small children, or the physically handicapped, should stay clear.

The photo above shows the pond now greatly downsized. All of the greenery in the background was under water before the beaver damn was breached. Two photos below show the pond water levels on two previous occasions, many months ago.