Over the ,many years we could always rely on Wildlife Defenders for some good beaver reporting…they do not disappoint.

Beavers Can Help Aid Water and Wildlife Woes

Defenders of Wildlife and partners are undertaking a nearly 30-mile restoration project in two major tributaries of the Rio Grande to increase water flow for both wildlife and people in northern New Mexico.  

From Truchas Peak, New Mexico’s second highest mountain, the Rio Quemado runs to meet the Santa Cruz River, which then feeds into the Rio Grande. Excess flow from both rivers is captured and stored by every wetland, woodland and forest ecosystem, which is critical to survival in this arid state.  

However, following the near extirpation of beavers in the state in the 1800s, rivers in New Mexico are struggling to retain moisture during dry seasons.  

“Beavers are coming back to their natural habitat, and now we need to make space for their return,” said Peggy Darr, the New Mexico representative for Defenders of Wildlife. “If we do that, communities who depend on the Rio Grande and its tributaries will benefit from stable, abundant water supplies, fire hazard reduction, protection from flash flooding and increased wildlife viewing opportunities.” 

Make way for beavers! Welcome back to where you belong!

Using beaver dam analogs and other low-tech, process-based restoration techniques, Defenders plans to aid beaver recolonization of historic habitat in northern New Mexico. These actions will recharge aquifers and ultimately reduce flash flooding and fire hazard threats that prevail in the area.  

“Large native populations of beavers once helped the Rio Grande and its tributaries flow at higher levels year-round,” Darr said. “Now, climate change is altering precipitation patterns in New Mexico’s mountains, threatening to leave rivers dry when water is most needed. Beaver dams increase water availability which is why we must restore and protect beavers and their river habitats.” 

In 2019, Defenders’ New Mexico beaver coexistence efforts began in Santa Fe County several years ago and have grown thanks to an awarded grant from the World Wildlife Fund, as well as important contributions from the Carroll Petrie Foundation and individual donors.  

These funds will expand beaver coexistence and habitat restoration work to the Santa Cruz River (12.17 miles) and the Rio Quemado (15.4 miles). This restoration expansion will benefit communities on the Rio Quemado, Santa Cruz River and the Rio Grande, and will provide other positive impacts including:  

Any state that care about water should care about beavers.

• Increased ecosystem biodiversity – Freshwater shapes the unique landscape and habitats in New Mexico. These waterways provide animals such as the Rio Grande Chub, Rio Grande Sucker, and Southwestern Willow Flycatcher with clean, fresh water, breeding habitats, increased food availability, migratory pathways and more.  
• Traditions and culture preservation – The Rio Quemado, Santa Cruz River and Rio Grande have long served New Mexican communities, including traditional Hispanic acequia farming villages and the Santa Clara Pueblo, both of which are underserved communities struggling with water shortage.  

As part of this restoration project, Defenders will offer farmer assistance to maintain crop yields while also conserving precious water resources. 

Biodiversity matters. Ecosystems matter. Coexistence matters.

Early success with beaver coexistence was achieved in partnership at Santa Fe County’s Los Potreros Open Space, at the confluence of the Rio Quemado and Santa Cruz Rivers, in Chimayo, New Mexico.  

“Thanks to restoration work, the Rio Quemado in the Los Potreros Open Space now sustains a beaver colony that prevents it from drying out in the late spring and early summer,” Darr added. “This is an excellent illustration of the benefit of restoration efforts and how beaver coexistence can improve living conditions for both wildlife and humans.” 

 Other wildlife that have been absent from the open space for years, such as fireflies, have also returned. The open space will soon be used as a publicly accessible demonstration site for successful beaver coexistence.

Fireflies! Fireflies! Do beavers help fireflies? I want someone to prove that they d0 because that is just magical and would make a great children’s story.

Yesterday was like a walk down memory lane as I heard from city leaders, past officials and various wildlife groups about the new grant policy for non lethal management from CDFW. I even heard from an official at Placer county who remembered my presentation about their beaver depredation from all those years ago.

I told her that if placer county had a site where they wanted to manage beavers without killing them I would move heaven and earth to help them do it.

Feel free to press play for the sound track to this article because it is the big one we’ve all been waiting for. This news will knock what is left of your socks entirely off…

CDFW Announces the Availability of $2 million to Support Non-Lethal Beaver Damage Management

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) has announced the availability of up to $2 million in grant funding for non-lethal beaver damage management, in support of ecosystem restoration and protection under the Nature-Based Solutions Initiative and CDFW’s beaver restoration and human-wildlife conflict program objectives.

This is what I have been waiting for, hoping for, praying for. This is the BIG one that makes all the little ones take notice. Considering that 17 years ago Martinez was struggling to find ways to save our beavers and whenever anyone called fish and game because they heard about these newfangled pipes that might help they were EVER SINGLE TIME “Those things never work”.

The North American beaver’s critically important role as an ecosystem engineer and keystone species, particularly as climate change, drought and wildfires increase in severity, has gained rapidly growing recognition in recent years. Because they are crucial to restoring and maintaining healthy ecosystems and their functions, CDFW has implemented new measures to maintain healthy beaver populations in suitable habitat throughout California.

I learned later from the sharp older woman who worked as Martinez treasurer that she had seen a special with Skip Lisle on animal planet about installing a flow device and she was so excited she called the mayor and director of public works and invited them to watch it in her living room because it could solve ALL their problems.

They Never Even Called Back.

In 2023, CDFW established a Beaver Restoration Program and adopted a beaver depredation policy that promotes human-beaver coexistence. CDFW recognizes that the very behavior that makes beavers so valuable to the ecosystems they maintain (e.g., felling trees, damming waterways) can often lead to direct conflict with landowners and local municipalities. CDFW’s new policy calls for thorough evaluation of beaver damage complaints, including identifying where effective and feasible non-lethal damage deterrent options exist and providing recommendations for non-lethal strategies that can be implemented in lieu of lethal beaver management. Installation of these devices and equipment may be done proactively to prevent beaver damage or may be pursued to abate damage as an alternative to obtaining a depredation permit.

There are only 25 counties in California that typically request beaver depredation permits. 200000 dollars means 80,000 for each county, Which Martinez could have had help installing Skip’s flow device. Which means Placer county could. Napa could. Fairfield could…

As part of the Nature-Based Solutions Initiative, entities eligible for this funding opportunity include Tribes, non-governmental organizations and public agencies. Through grants awarded to eligible entities, the objectives of this program also include outreach and the reimbursement or direct funding to private landowners.

CDFW has launched an online application portal to receive applications for the grant funding. As part of its Cutting the Green Tape efforts, this streamlined application and review process will remain available on an ongoing basis through early 2025. CDFW is accelerating the review and approval process under this funding with the goal to review and approve the award for grants for selected projects within 30 days of receipt. Following awards, CDFW will work to develop agreements for awarded projects.

Grants reviewed within 30 days.   Nonprofits or tribes or agencies may apply. Friends of Alhambra Creek could have applied. The city of Martinez could have applied. It’s a Different World…A New World…

CDFW has developed a single set of General Grant Program Guidelines with an overview of eligible project types, priorities and information on the application process, available at www.wildlife.ca.gov/Conservation/Watersheds/Restoration-Grants/Concept-Application.

More information about these funding opportunities, including guidelines and how to apply, general information about CDFW’s grant programs, as well as a schedule for upcoming grant solicitations can be found at www.wildlife.ca.gov/grants.

Once upon a time in a land far far away there was a big meeting in Martinez where everyone talked about what to do with the beavers and one woman had heard of these devices and confronted the city manager about them…

He turned in his chair and said they had decided they wouldn’t work in our city…

They woman whom I did not know was FEARLESS and not about to be shushed away. “BUT YOU KNEW ABOUT THEM???AND YOU DIDN’T TELL US???”

Which bothered the soon to retire Don Blumbaugh so much that he turned away and told her to talk to the council.

Welcome to the new world.

Well that’s a project after my own heart. Hey if you have a half hour to kill read through the comment section of this article. It’s a lot like what I remember Martinez being back in the day…

A $4 million renovation of Ballston Wetlands Park is officially complete — and beavers returned for the occasion

The restoration of Ballston Wetlands Park is officially complete and the park is now open to the public. Arlington County officials and community members marked the occasion today (Tuesday) with a ribbon-cutting.

The rain-soaked event marked the end of a $4 million renovation project that transformed what was formerly known as Ballston Beaver Pond — until the departure of the beavers — from a sludge-filled area into a natural stormwater filtration system and wildlife refuge.

“Over the years, sediment, trash, and invasive plants essentially filled the pond,” County Board Chair Christian Dorsey told a crowd of attendees. “Now, cleared of that sediment and other debris, this retrofitted wetland system not only improves stormwater flow and filtration but also captures trash, serving as both a wildlife refuge and a natural respite within our urban village of Ballston.”

Initially built in 1980 as a stormwater detention facility for runoff from I-66, the pond gradually evolved into a haven for local wildlife. By the 1990s, species such as beavers, muskrats, geese, herons, egrets, red-winged blackbirds, fish and turtles had migrated to the area.

Dam-building activities by the beavers, however, interfered with the site’s original drainage systems. When the beavers eventually left, the county took the opportunity to make necessary improvements.

Those darn beavers. They just ruin everything. If by ‘ruin’ you mean improve without authorization…

Planning for the renovations dates back to 2011 but it took a decade for the work to kick off in December 2021. Acquiring the necessary easements took about eight years and Covid further delayed the project.

The site now features new informative signage, educational exhibits and thousands of native trees and plants. Logs for turtles to sun themselves, dubbed “basking stations,” have also been added.

There is also a hidden feature to manage beaver activity going forward. The county installed a secondary, concealed pathway for water to flow out and bypass their dams, a solution known as a “beaver baffle.”

That may be prescient, given some reported beaver sightings, Lily Whitesell, a stormwater outreach specialist with Arlington’s Dept. of Environmental Services (DES), told ARLnow. Perhaps the beavers moved back to enjoy the upgrades to their old habitat.

So the dam is back? Because you can’t just install a flow device unless you know where the dam is going to be…right?

Jason Papacosma, a DES wetlands project manager, said the project extends beyond local restoration efforts and contributes to the broader clean-up of Chesapeake Bay.

“This is a project that gives us credit for our obligations to clean up the Chesapeake Bay. And in terms of all the progress we’ve made to date, this project gives us at least 10% of that overall progress,” Papacosma said.

Demetra McBride, bureau chief of the county’s Office of Sustainability and Environmental Management, acknowledged that while the site was not originally an “environmental asset,” it has now become one.

“I realize that this is not a natural asset… But the community, going back as far as 10 years, wanted more. The leadership of Arlington inspired more. And your public servants and their contractors delivered more,” she said during the ceremony.

Virginia is getting to be one or the few states where a park houses beavers that can be regular viewed as part of the attraction. Maybe this will become like Huntley meadows.

Let’s hope…

Are you old enough to remember David Letterman’s top ten list? I remember watching it once with bronchitis as a teen and I laughed and coughed until I nearly died. I always thought the story would great in an obituary.

I like this list even better…

10 Innovative Ways That Beavers Can Save the World

10 Water Storage during Drought

By building dams across streams, which create a network of ponds and channels, beavers hold back large amounts of water across a wide area. This means that during heavy rain, these dams can help avoid flood events yet also allow for a controlled release of water, which can sustain rivers and wildlife during dry periods.

9 Helping to Prevent Wildfires

Beaver habitats show promise in protecting against wildfires, as they have demonstrated higher fire resistance compared to areas without beavers. After a wildfire has occurred, scientists have found that the loss of vegetation density was three times smaller in areas with beavers than those without in the western USA.

8 Nature-Built Air Conditioning

During intense heatwaves, humans use tools like air conditioning to keep cool. However, beavers have also demonstrated a unique ability to cope. They help other creatures survive by drenching landscapes with cold water, which cools the air, making forests and grasslands less susceptible to fire and drought.

7 Improved Water Quality

Beavers are proving to be a significant boon to river water quality in the western United States, countering the damaging effects of climate-driven droughts. Hotter and drier weather means that water quality becomes degraded as it is filled with contaminants and an excess of nutrients, which then require major rainfall to wash them away.

6 Carbon Capture

Beavers create dams that lead to the formation of wetlands and floodplains, which can sequester carbon and keep greenhouse gases out of the atmosphere.

5 Can Teach Us Skills

No matter how advanced our technology becomes, there will always be valuable lessons to glean from nature’s engineers, like the beaver. The way they build dams and manage water is so successful that humans try to emulate it in urban areas. The attributes of beaver dams epitomize the principles of the Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) design that people can use to support water management in towns and cities.

4 A Biodiversity Boost

Research conducted by the University of Stirling in Scotland revealed that ponds constructed by beavers are significantly more biodiverse than other wetlands. They examined aquatic plants and beetles in 20 wetlands in central and southern Sweden, half of which were created by beavers and half that were not. They found a remarkable difference, with the beaver-influenced wetlands playing host to 33% more plant species and 26% more beetles.

3 Pollution Busters and Fish Whisperers

A University of Exeter study of the escaped beaver population in Devon in England found that they had a substantial impact on purifying the River Otter by filtering out contaminants like manure, slurry, and fertilizers that were released from farms.

This pollution reduction has been advantageous to fish in the area as these beaver wetlands contained 37% more fish compared to similar sections of the river. Remarkably, instances of trout leaping over dams were documented during periods of elevated river flow, so these structures didn’t stop them from completing their migrations.[8]

2 An Economic Uptick

Further research at the River Otter in Devon during the beaver trial focussed on the village of Otterton and uncovered a business opportunity for the local community due to their presence. As various rewilding projects are found in the countryside, they can help build sustainable economies and travel as the money goes toward locals instead of large corporations who may invest in unsustainable businesses.

1 Beavers Are Worth Millions!

Beavers do so much for us that we should consider paying them, as it has been calculated that an individual is worth £80,487.72 per year. This figure was based on their ability to reduce floods, increase water purity, and store water, among other factors. It is good news for communities that wouldn’t be able to afford large-scale human-built projects but can sustain a beaver population and reap the benefits for a much lower price.

A fine start but what about the other hundred reasons like aquifer recharge and amphibian recovery and nutrient cycling and flood plain connection?