March 27, 2020 – Worth A Dam

Torrey Ritter, now of Montana Fish and Wildlife put this lovely snapshot together. Turns out Google Maps is a good friend of beavers. Here’s what he had to say about it:

Over the past few weeks, I have tried to highlight some of the bountiful benefits of beaver activity for streams and riparian areas. But it is difficult to fully see and appreciate the magnitude of the impacts beavers can have when it comes to water storage, sediment retention, and habitat enhancement. Luckily for us, there are giant conglomerations of metal outfitted with doo-dads, gizmos, and what-nots hurtling around the earth taking photos from a perspective we rarely get to experience. I am talking about satellites (and sometimes airplanes), which capture some of the most beautiful sights on planet earth. If you haven’t spent time exploring around in Google Earth learning more about the landscape you call home… do it!

One of my favorite Google Earth pastimes is looking for cool examples of beaver colonies. Every stream system is unique, and beavers take those unique systems and create amazingly intricate colonies that display the complex interactions between water, sediment, and vegetation. The result is nothing short of natural, abstract “art”. The patterns of water impoundment and woody plant harvest are beautiful in their own right, but they also demonstrate the incredible ability of beavers to keep streams connected to their floodplains and create a variety of habitat types for a range of plant and animal species to enjoy.

Here is a small selection of some of my favorite beaver colonies I have come across while zooming around Google Earth in west and southwest Montana. The water flows from left to right in each photo. In these times of stuck-at-homeliness, I highly recommend getting yourself into some aerial imagery and having a look-around. You will be amazed at the perspective it gives you on the world.

And if you find a particularly beautiful beaver colony, please share it! #stuffbeaversdo #TuesdayswithTorrey

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