A state law that limits how much a county can pay for services has dammed up a beaver control program.

Rankin County is among 41 counties that pay the federal Beaver Control Assistance Program to help relieve water damage caused by beavers.

The federal program upped its prices, but state law doesn’t allow counties to pay more than a specified amount — thus causing problems for counties that had to scramble to find the remainder from other sources.

BCAP, which is run by the USDA’s Wildlife Services, raised its prices to $7,000, but state law doesn’t allow counties to pay more than $4,000 from their general fund. To pay the remaining $3,000, the counties will have to use money from other sources. Rankin County used donations from landowners to pay the addition.