On Patrol, Protecting The Dike.

       Is the day coming when America will have a Chief of Eliminating Muskrats? Well the Netherlands have them, sorta. After Hurricane Sandy, folks are looking at the Dutch who have some experience with protecting low lying lands from storms from the sea. They built a dike system that protects lands that are below sea level even during calm seas.
       However, one problem the Dutch have with their dikes is that pesky muskrats keep digging deep into the dikes for nesting. That practice has a way of weakening the dikes, they claim. Therefore they have patrols of men to search out, capture and dispose of, humanely, these creatures.
       How does all this talk of muskrats affect us? Well, Dutch experts in protection of land from storm surge have been advising America about how and what might be done. Obviously the question will come up as to who has first priority, muskrats or humans.
       Actually that won't lead to the controversy. What might though, is the cost of paying those legions of rodent inspectors. Even more to the point would be the costs involved with the building of those dikes. The Netherlands have somewhere around 50,000 miles of dikes. Can you imagine what it would take to build dikes for all of America? What about rivers? You'd have to protect cities and towns against rivers near where they empty into  the ocean.
       But suppose we decided to go ahead with such an undertaking, would they have to get colleges to offer courses in Capturing Muskrats 101, or Filling in the Burrow 201? Would it be a two year or four year course of study? Would they be federal, state or local employees? Would they be allowed to keep the muskrats they catch? Would muskrat fur find it's way into the fashion world?
       I don't mean to make light of the serious matter of protecting people who live in areas likely to be exposed to the danger of flooding. But I'm not sure we need to spend too much time on the idea of dikes except for, perhaps, a few locations clearly in danger. It is nice to learn, however, that some people are at least giving some thought to the problem.