County, conservation district at odds over Ewan flooding

COLFAX — Whitman County's critical areas ordinance is preventing the replacement of trees to discourage beavers from building dams that cause flooding in Ewan.

The Ewan beavers matter came before county commissioners again on June 28, as Manager of the Rock Lake Conservation District Andrew Wolfe made a quick case that the county legal argument was wrong.

He previously addressed county commissioners in May to talk about the recent increase in flooding of Kamiak Creek, which goes directly through Ewan.

He explained that a 1,200-foot long grove of willow trees attracts beavers, which gnaw and cu...