The beloved beavers of Martinez, whose celebrated downtown dam can be seen on YouTube, could be looking at a death sentence if city officials follow through on a staff recommendation.

The family of beavers, including the parents and two adolescents, are so popular that crowds of schoolchildren and other interested locals regularly gather on the banks of Alhambra Creek to watch them work on their dam.

The beaver dam, built right on a recently completed flood improvement project, has grown from three to six feet in height since last winter, putting the town in serious jeopardy of being inundated during winter rains.

The staff report, made public Friday, says the city should remove the dam and "humanely depredate the beavers."

The Martinez City Council will consider the proposal Wednesday night during what most people involved expect to be a (more...)