You know where we haven’t read a good beaver benefits article from ever? Kansas. I mean now that Iowa has stepped up to the plate and even Tennessee has earned an honorable mention, what has the sunflower state ever done for us lately?
Nature’s Engineers
One of our best engineers can work through the night, requires no machinery, and doesn’t even expect a paycheck. He’s also many a farmer’s nightmare, but many a rancher’s blessing. He’s the beaver. For some people, the beaver is bad news for their ponds, crop ground, culverts, and trees, but he is also one of the most underappreciated and important creatures we have for improving water quality and riparian habitat.
Beavers are a keystone species, meaning, a small number of beavers have a huge, long-lasting impact on large numbers of wildlife. Believe it or not, beavers benefit people in several ways; their dams reduce soil erosion by decreasing the velocity of stream flow. Beaver dams raise the water table and can turn an intermittent stream into perennial flow which is crucial if you’re facing a drought. Their dams reduce peak flows to help reduce the effects of flooding. Their dams improve the quality of our water by trapping sediment and breaking down toxins which is not only healthier for us, but less costly for water treatments. Beaver dams increase ground water recharge which is critical in replenishing alluvial aquifers. Beaver dams increase the complexity of a riparian habitat to increase the diversity of aquatic species. Best of all, these benefits don’t cost a dime so long as the beaver isn’t in the wrong place. So how do we reap the benefits in the places we want them?
Did I just read that right? Am I still in Kansas Toto? Is this just another fever dream I will wake up from in a few lines? Oh Ben’s wonderful book is there NO END to the wonders you will reap?
Fortunately, there are things that can be done to help prevent beaver activity where it is not wanted. Particularly around culverts where beavers like to stuff twigs into, a device called a beaver deceiver can be used. Beaver deceivers are combination panels that keep the beaver from crawling or swimming through and force the beaver to place his dam further away from the culvert.
And on that sunny day when the beaver GOOD NEWS finally reached Kansas of all places, we stood in wonderous awe and watched.
I don’t know about you but I think a victory in a flyover state deserves a proper celebration. Something furry and familiar. Something that for decades we have been seeing every July but have sorely missed this past year.
Something wonderful that Rusty Cohn discovered in Napa.
Seems that the Napa beaver parents have been feeling a bit more protective of their new charge with all the hubub and building going on. They both appeared and made sure the coast was clear before they allowed newbie to swim about on his own. Beavers are such good parents!
These parents swam about and checked the pond before they even let Junior swim on his own.
Can you say over protective much? You can tell the little one had HAD ENOUGH ALREADY because he made sure to let his parents know how he felt about their caution. He’s having NONE of it, thank you.
What wonderful photos! I know it’s very early, and the creek sides are crowded with crabby homeless, but wow we sure love living vicariously through you. Thank you so much!
Oh and by the way, never ever sleep in again all summer!
