The whimsical name on this one caught my eye. It’s on the west side of North Fairview Avenue between Fernwood and Saginaw.

When I went to search for the contractor involved, a bunch of pictures popped up, showing a drainage system such as I have in my basement. From that I learned that a Beaver System is a trade name for this kind of setup, in which a channel (or, as I have now learned it’s called, a dam) is installed at floor level to trap infiltrating water and send it to a sump pump. Ours was not a brand name Beaver installation, but the name “beaver system” seems to have genericized and gets applied to any such installation.

From what I can tell, Beaver Systems is a franchise. It doesn’t look like anyone is doing business under that name in metro Lansing, but I can find references from about ten years ago to a Beaver Systems in Holt, and other undated references to one in Grand Ledge.