issue at a glance: water flow

The Asylum Lake outlet is the site of two related projects aimed at protecting the lake and keeping it safe for visitors. One involves the "beaver deceiver" – a device that lets water flow downstream quietly so resident beavers aren't driven to dam the outlet and flood the lake – with work to improve its function and reduce maintenance. The other addresses erosion around the spillway, where heavy storms have damaged trails and seating and stressed the outflow stream, with a redesign to make the area safe, accessible, and ecologically sound. Read more below.

August 2025

Beaver Deceiver Reconstruction

The beaver deceiver minimizes the sound of flowing water while allowing water to flow freely from Asylum Lake downstream to Little Asylum Lake and the west fork of Portage Creek. If our resident beavers hear flowing water, they will be driven by instinct to build a dam and block it off, backing up the lake levels and causing local flooding.

Updates are needed to improve the beaver deceiver’s function and lessen the maintenance needs at the lake outlet. Visitors can expect some construction equipment to be present and active on the lake shore during the reconstruction phase at the lake outlet.

Lake Spillway Area Redesign

Erosive conditions have impacted the trails and seating areas around the Asylum Lake outlet spillway, which flows to Little Asylum Lake. Heavy rainstorms have led to dangerous ero-sive conditions that will be repaired in the near future. Visitors can expect to see some con-struction equipment to be present and active in this area.

The goal is to make the spillway trail and seating area safe and accessible for all to enjoy, and to protect the ecology of the lake's outflow stream, which is negatively impacted by erosive conditions.