Beavers Blocking Swamp Exits, SwampWalk Needs to be Raised

The Great Wenham Swamp is rising, and that means volunteers are hoping to raise the Danvers SwampWalk.

George Saluto of Danvers, the driving force behind the Swampwalk - off the Rail Trail near the Wenham-Danvers townline just south of Route 97 - said the swamp’s outlet to the Ipswich River has been blocked by beavers. The swamp has risen so high that a section of the walkway is at water level.

“Our resident beavers in the three lodges have done an elegant engineering job of blocking all water exits,” Saluto said in an e-mail.

Additionally, the opening between the ponds is blocked and the culvert under the Rail Trail is blocked.

Swampwalk volunteers say they need $2,000 to raise the wooden walkway and “continue to keep the 0.3 miles in great shape.”

The beavers can not be disturbed because it is illegal and it “would disrupt other wildlife and vistas.”

To make a donation, address a check to: “Town of Danvers - SwampWalk” and send it to: Kristan Farr, Danvers Town Hall, Danvers, MA 01923.