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MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) — Vermont Fish and Wildlife staff have been busy as beavers this summer trying to prevent flooding on roads and private property.

The agency has installed 11 water control devices on beaver dams throughout the state. Known as "beaver baffles," the devices allow some water to pass through the dam without breaching it and destroying wetlands.

Officials say the devices can help reduce flooding and minimize property damage while preserving wetlands that provide critical habitat for songbirds, otters, moose and other wildlife.

Beavers had disappeared from Vermont by the early 1700s due to unregulated trapping and habit degradation. Fish and Wildlife reintroduced them in the 1920s and they are now widespread.