Beavers fill neighborhood with smelly water, chase dogs, eat fences in Clarksville | Video – ClarksvilleNow.com

CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – Residents near Fox Trail Court in Clarksville have found out why their property has been damaged by flooding drains for years. A family of beavers had built a dam near their home.

All three beavers were then killed with compound bow and arrows. But questions remain about flooding in the area, with water stagnant with mosquitoes, snakes and spiders and a “sulfurous, sewage-like smell”.

Beaver introduces himself to his neighbors

Ian Blankenship told Clarksville Now that the problems began in June 2025 when he moved into his rental property and noticed water pooling near his backyard.

“Over the course of a month or two, we started to notice holes in the fence and then beavers started coming into the yard,” Blankenship said.

Blankenship discovered two beaver dams built behind fences on the property and a clogged storm drain. “When we first moved in, the water was so high, maybe 2-3 feet in the garden, that it covered the entire fence line. The grass was dead and just mushy. We actually had tadpoles swimming in the garden. I mean, we actually removed the dam twice (on our own).”

Blankenship said they destroyed the dam and dug around it to move some of the water and drain it again. However, the beavers rebuilt the dam and the property flooded again.

“The other thing we did was we found a burrow right next to a dam so we were able to break it down, hoping that would displace them. But they built another burrow across the pond, behind someone else’s property, that’s hard to access. So we haven’t touched that.”

Beaver picks a fight with neighbor’s dog

That wasn’t the only problem. The beavers began harassing Blankenship’s chocolate-colored Labrador retriever.

“When it first happened, he (the dog) jumped up and barked and then got chased around the yard a little bit and then came back under the fence,” Blankenship said. “From then on, every time we let him out at night, he would stop at the bottom of the stairs and check the garden to see if he was okay.

“So (the beaver) didn’t harm him at all, but it chased him and scared him. But the fact that it was on the property and in the middle of the neighborhood in the first place is crazy.”

Blankenship’s dog wasn’t the only one being harassed. Tim Dutton, who lives next door, said his two dogs actually got into a fight with the beaver. He said the dogs were curious at first, but then when the beaver tried to get under the balcony, the beaver acted aggressive and the dogs were ready to fight.

Dutton said he moved onto his property three years ago and beavers have been a problem ever since.

Beaver shooting kills, environmental problems continue

Blankenship said between Dutton and himself, two neighbors contacted the city of Clarksville last year but received no response.

They contacted the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) and learned that beavers are considered nuisance animals and can be killed. “So there are no permits or licenses that you have to get,” Blankenship said. “If they cause property damage or harm animals or people, that’s like a green light to capture them. So we used a compound bow and arrow to eliminate one person around October of last year.”

Blankenship said the other two beavers also appeared to have died after emerging from hibernation sometime in February and were shot with compound bows.

In a statement to Clarksville Now, TWRA spokesperson Barry Cross said, “TWRA is committed to the protection and conservation of the state’s wildlife and fish. Although beavers can be trapped at any time, and beavers are in trapping season year-round, they are fur game animals. Trapping is probably the primary form of harvest, but there are areas where animals are removed due to nuisance issues like the situation you describe.”

The first beaver killed was bagged and transported, processed and skinned, while the second beaver was turned over to a local taxidermist. After the third beaver was struck, it returned to its burrow and hasn’t been seen since, Blankenship said.

A dammed pond filled with foul-smelling water and mosquitoes

The beavers may be gone, but neighbors remain concerned, including Dutton, an environmental studies major and environmental consultant.

“Mosquitoes and other microorganisms and bacteria that live in this drainage area that is dammed by beavers all pose a serious disease threat to family pets, grazing deer, and other ruminants. We also have children running around here, and that poses a threat to them and their safety as well,” Dutton told Clarksville Now.

“There’s also a putrid smell. A sulfurous, sewage-like smell, obviously like rotten water with no flow,” Blankenship said. “So what’s in there has been there for years. All the animals that have soaked in it, died in it, or pooped or peed in it, you can kind of smell the landfill from afar sometimes.

“At this point, it would be nice to be able to remove the storm drains,” he said. “It would be nice if we could keep the pond clean and free of mosquitoes, insects, snakes, and spiders.”

Property damage due to flooding

Dutton said the beavers have also made holes in the fence and repeatedly uprooted the fence posts. We were told it would cost $3,000 to $5,000 to fix the entire fence because of beaver and flood damage.

Blankenship said there’s not much you can do as a renter. “There are limits to the authority given to me,” he said. “Sure, I can take care of the grass and bushes, but as far as repairing or doing anything to prevent damage, that’s not really what I’m supposed to do.”

Complaints about the process, advice for others

Dutton told Clarksville Now that while the process has been frustrating over the years, it’s great that the community was able to come together and find a solution.

Blankenship and Dutton offered advice to others experiencing similar suffering. “Honestly, do your homework. Between the two of us, we called Tennessee Wildlife to make sure it was okay for them to be there, that they were supposed to be here. At the same time, we found out what the rules and procedures were about trapping them, relocating them, and killing them,” Blankenship said. “Please check with your local police department to ensure that you are following their bylaws. Find the appropriate police station.”

Dutton reiterated, “Do your homework and make sure there are no firearms being fired in your neighborhood. If you can use a bow, use a bow. If you can use a trap, use a trap. And the fact is, the city needs to do its job. They should come out here and check the storm drains on a regular basis.”

In an interview with Clarksville Now, Street Department Director David Smith said the department had not received any recent communications or complaints of compliance at the Fox Trail Court location. But he said his staff would consider it.

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