By Lynette Cox
Gresham Smith Employees Assisting with Beaver Dam Analog
Louisville, Ky., September 10, 2024, Gresham Smith, a civil engineering firm hired by MSD, has chosen Bernheim Forest to receive support through Louisville MSD’s Community Benefits Program (CBP). Twenty employees from Gresham Smith’s Water Department attending the Kentucky/Tennessee Water Professionals Conference will install a beaver dam analog on Wednesday, September 11, at Bernheim, beginning at 9 a.m. and continuing until approximately 2:30 p.m.
The beaver dam analog (BDA), led by Bernheim’s natural areas team, will be installed near Lake Nevin, a 32-acre lake at Bernheim. BDAs are man-made structures designed to mimic the form and function of a natural beaver dam. By creating immediate habitat, these structures help increase the probability of successful beaver translocation.
“We use existing materials, like branches and limbs, to slow down a stream. We hope this will encourage beavers to come and build upon our efforts,” explained Evan Patrick, Natural Areas Manager at Bernheim.
With over 90 miles of streams and nearly 100 wetlands, Bernheim’s aquatic habitats support healthy watersheds downstream. Through both active and passive management, Bernheim slows streams and recharges groundwater. Slowing runoff helps retain organic material, carbon, and nutrients in the soil of the bottomlands.
“Beavers are ecosystem engineers that work by moonlight and invite other wildlife such as river otters, wood ducks, bats, turtles, shorebirds, insects, and salamanders into their habitats,” added Andrew Berry, Director of Conservation at Bernheim.
Beavers are one of the many species Bernheim has worked to recover and promote. Hunted extensively for the fur trade as early as the 17th century, beaver populations plummeted over the next three centuries due to trapping and loss of stream and valley habitat. Bernheim began promoting beavers in 2008, and wetlands soon became recharged into beaver ponds as the population recovered. Due to continuing conservation efforts in recent years, beaver populations have expanded into every major stream in Kentucky.
“MSD aims to be a good neighbor every day by seeking to establish partnerships with companies that also have strong commitments to the communities we serve. Through MSD’s Community Benefits Program, Gresham Smith is not only assisting MSD in providing safe, clean waterways for our communities in Bullitt County, but they are furthering their commitment with this innovative engineering project at Bernheim Forest & Arboretum. It is natural for the Gresham Smith engineers to team with nature’s first engineers—beavers—to increase water quality for Lake Nevin and beyond,” said Sharise Horne, Chief of Equity and Community Partnerships at MSD.
About Bernheim Forest and Arboretum:
Bernheim’s mission is to connect people with nature. At more than 16,000 acres, the largest privately held contiguous forest block in the eastern United States is dedicated to conservation and education. Bourbon maker Isaac Wolfe Bernheim established the forest and arboretum in 1929 as a gift to the people of Kentucky. Fun, educational programs, diverse tree collections, renowned art experiences, 40 miles of hiking trails, and varied landscapes host over 229 bird species, available every day except Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day.
About MSD’s Community Benefits Program:
MSD’s Community Benefits program, launched in 2019, focuses on the utility’s construction and construction-related projects, which cost more than $2 million; professional service contracts, which cost more than $200,000; and legal contracts, which cost more than $100,000. During the contractor proposal stage, MSD encourages contractors to voluntarily submit community-benefit commitments they will pursue if awarded the project. These commitments can include charitable contributions, volunteer hours, or in-kind services to area nonprofits or schools within MSD’s service area. The program has awarded more than $6 million in contributions to the communities that MSD serves.
