IS IT TIME TO ADD A BEAVER TO YOUR FLOOD MANAGEMENT TEAM? Lisa Beutler
Reprinted from IMPACT magazine from AWRA
If you’re looking for new talent for your next flood management project, you may have overlooked an entire pool of low-cost, hardworking, extremely experienced workers. Sometimes called nature’s premier construction engineers, they have their detractors, and you may have some qualms after reference checks. They’ve been in multiple disputes, been called nuisances, and even been ejected from the worksite. But some managers (and governments) are saying it’s time to give them a second look. Beavers, nearly hunted to extinction for their valued coats, are slowly returning to public lands. In his recent book, Eager, author Ben Goldfarb calls the semi-aquatic mammals “ecological and hydrological Swiss army knives.” Goldfarb believes they are building a new reputation for positive impacts on landscapes, ecology, and even the economy. “A beaver pond,” he explains, “is more than a body of water supporting the needs of a group of beavers, but the epicenter of a whole dynamic ecosystem.” Beaver-built dams and wetlands naturally boost cost-effective climate resilience. Known benefits include habitat creation for endangered species, increased biodiversity, water storage and purification, reduced wildfire damage, accelerated reforestation after fires, and groundwater recharge. These large rodents are now getting renewed attention for their potential to reduce flooding. For many, this seems counterintuitive. Often considered pests, tens of thousands of beavers are killed annually when their activities create localized flooding. A return of beavers to Great Britain created enormous controversy as farmers worried about beaver-made alterations to their drainage systems.
FMA NEWS
A Cautious Welcome Prompted by a European Union agreement to bring back extinct species “where feasible,” the formal reintroduction of this once-native British mammal was conducted cautiously and studied carefully. Results have been promising. Media headlines such as “Dam It! How Beavers Could Save Britain from Flooding” and “Why Beavers Could be the UK’s Secret Weapon against Flooding” have captured the public’s interest. (Another publication carried a similar banner headline, but, to the horror of beaver enthusiasts, the column included a picture of a nutria.) In a five-year study in west Devon, researchers from the University of Exeter measured water flows and water quality above and below beaver dams. As expected, the dams improved water quality. The researchers also found that beaver activity reduced flood events: Monitoring demonstrated that during heavy rain, water volume increased rapidly above the study site. However, floodwater measured again below the site showed reduced peaks and velocity. In 2019 interviews with the Guardian, John Morgan, a retired rancher and owner of the property where the pilot project occurred, reported that before the beavers’ introduction the rural roads in the area used to flood in heavy rain. Since their arrival, road flooding has ceased. Offering a full-throated endorsement of more reintroduction, he said, “I think it’s a good idea. They do a lot of work that these different water companies have to do. If a dam gets washed out, the beavers put it back overnight. They do a 12-hour shift every day of the year. They don’t take holidays.”
