Negotiations remain underway between Clay Township, Butler County and Moraine Preservation Fund over the removal of beavers and dams off Beaver Dam Road that put several homes at risk of flooding once the water levels rise, township supervisor Dave Beachem said.

“We’re still in negotiations with the state and the county over it,” Beachem said. “But I'm hoping that something should change here quickly.”

The goal, he said, is to get the water level down. While there is no current danger that homes will be flooded, the situation could change. A previous Butler Eagle report said that “multiple homes were in danger of being affected by the flooding, along with a bridge and a quarter-mile of road.”

“We need to drop the water table a couple of feet or better,” Beachem said.

Before the project can start, and the beavers can be removed, the township must negotiate with the county and Moraine Preservation Fund. The state Game Commission is involved and is helping the township through the process, said county commissioner Kevin Boozel.

“Movement is happening with all land owners signing agreements,” Boozel said.

“We're trying to negotiate everything here. So, you know, we're not exactly sure what we can do or what we can't do,” Beachem said.

Beachem said he hopes the project can move underway by autumn. Fall is a likely timeline, Boozel said.

“This is not a job to eradicate the beavers, but to balance them with (the) entire ecosystem that includes other wildlife and our constituents,” he said.

“It’s just like a maze down there with beaver dams,” he said. “It’s huge, this beaver dam problem … it’s not a small deal here.”