If you .live long enough you never know what you might find. Once upon a time there was a very antibeaver zealot that worked for the sacramento water boards who insisted that flow devices never work and beavers were bad for streams.
Now look how far we’ve come:
Water quality enforcement penalties boost Salinas River beaver renaissance
Funding from a 2021 settlement agreement between the Central Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board and Pacific Gas and Electric Co. is supporting the Drinkable Rivers Program in San Luis Obispo County, a program that puts elected officials, students and others on the water to witness the benefits of beaver dams and ponds.
“The program not only helps the river, wildlife and the environment, it also directly involves the public,” said Ryan Lodge, executive officer of the Central Coast Water Board. “Providing hands-on experience for people who care deeply about the environment builds support for protecting the Salinas River in the long term. Additionally, the settlement with PG&E for water quality violations illustrates how our enforcement actions can both serve as a deterrent and lead to measures that benefit the public and the environment.”
The Central Coast Water Board is one of nine regional boards tasked with overseeing water quality in their watersheds. The regional boards set water quality standards and discharge requirements and take appropriate enforcement actions when necessary.
Hurray for the central coast waterboard!
Once viewed as pests, beavers are now recognized for their many ecological benefits and their ability to help revitalize creeks and rivers. Research has shown that beaver dams can boost groundwater levels, improve water quality, provide drought resiliency, support biodiversity and even reduce wildfire risk.
“Beavers are our original river stewards and truly a keystone species; they are worth getting excited about,” said Audrey Taub, executive director of the San Luis Obispo (SLO) Beaver Brigade, a nonprofit dedicated to improving beaver habitat. “We want people to know that beavers can improve climate, drought and wildfire resilience throughout California.”
Targeted by settlers and fur trappers, California and the West’s beaver populations declined sharply in the 1800s. Trappers desired the beavers’ valuable pelts while landowners retaliated against the giant rodents for building dams that slowed stream flow, flooded farmland and disrupted water delivery systems.
North American beaver populations were once pegged as high as 200 million, but after decades of exploitation and eradication, there are only approximately 10-15 million beavers left.
The article highlights the good work being done by the SLO beaver bigade and their effort allow beavler restoration.
“The program not only helps the river, wildlife and the environment, it also directly involves the public. Providing hands-on experience for people who care deeply about the environment builds support for protecting the Salinas River in the long term.”
— Ryan Lodge, executive officer of the Central Coast Water Board
The river is the cornerstone of the Salinas Valley’s productive agricultural industry. Its surface flows and groundwater stores help farmers grow the lettuce, broccoli, strawberries, wine grapes and other crops that have earned the valley the moniker of the nation’s “salad bowl.”
The one-day educational tours, offered in English and Spanish, are free and teach participants to identify signs of beaver activity and how the dams can reduce common aquatic pollutants such as nitrates, phosphates, metals and excess sediments.
“People that go on our tours become beaver believers instantly,” Taub said. “We offer people the chance to be comfortable in a natural setting and see the beauty and wildlife all around the river.”
In addition to tours, the brigade uses grant funding from the Central Coast Water Board’s enforcement activities to support its summer internship course that offers teenagers career preparation skills, including data collection and presentation experience. The program also helps participants prepare for college by facilitating connections with Cal Poly San Luis Obispo’s College Corps Program.
