EASTHAMPTON — The city issued an emergency declaration last week to clear a clogged culvert on Everett Street, averting the potential threat that put the stability of the road and the sewer pipe underneath it at risk. The believed culprit of the backup was a familiar furry creature.

“The culvert was jammed full of woody material,” Easthampton Conservation Agent Eva Gerstle told the Gazette. “Beavers [could have] clogged up the culvert.”

Water levels of Brickyard Brook peaked at roughly 12 feet above the culvert mouth due to the plugged pipe, Gerstle said. The pipe has since been cleared of debris after the Conservation Commission gave the green light to do so, lowering the water back to normal levels. The culvert is located at a dip in Everett Street near the road’s midpoint, connecting the brook to Lower Mill Pond.

The request came from Department of Public Works Director Greg Nuttelman, who said the elevated water was applying significant force that could have “compromised” the roadway.

“If the roadway becomes compromised by the water pressure we would face a significant public health hazard if the sanitary sewer flow began leaking into Lower Mill Pond,” Nuttelman wrote in an email exchange with city officials. Ryan Griffin, the director of public health, agreed.

Further down the brook, through the woods toward Plum Brook Drive, is a beaver dam on private land. While the exact cause of the clog is undetermined, Gerstle said one of two things could have happened: either beavers clogged it themselves, or heavy precipitation this winter caused additional water flow that carried debris from the dam, and possibly other sources, straight into the culver, stuffing it.

“The beaver dam was the debris, we suspect,” Gerstle said. “Or the debris was there [from] build up over the course of winter … We’ve been watching this site over the spring and the water continued to rise.”

Conservation Commission members raised several concerns at their July 13 meeting, one questioning if clearing the pipe would cause any potential harm to beavers in the area.

“No beavers were hurt, none were seen and no lodges were disturbed,” Gerstle told the Gazette, adding that a beaver’s natural instinct is to create habitats, often blocking culverts to create a water body.

The other concern was whether the outburst of water from clearing the culvert would have been powerful enough to cause any unanticipated damage to wildlife or infrastructure. Gerstle said the removal of the debris from the 36-inch culvert “went as best as it could have.”

“These situations are always challenging — this is a relatively small culvert and just to ensure the water moved as slow as possible, the city’s contractor did the best they could,” Gerstle said.

Moving forward, Gerstle said water levels are no longer an immediate concern, but the city will monitor the site to see if a similar situation arises. While no beavers were observed at the site, Gerstle said if they return, the city will likely have to install a device such as a “beaver deceiver” to ensure beavers can inhabit the area safely without damaging infrastructure.

“If beavers return, we’ll contact Beaver Solutions and look for an option to ensure they don’t jam up that culvert,” Gerstle said.