Our Wildlife VP, Cheryl Reynolds, sent this article which I read with hand-rubbing delight. The words Bwahaha may have even escaped my lips, so closely did the article follow my own designs. I’ll give you a gist, but you might want to go read the whole thing.
State officials expect that climate change will create some profound water supply problems in eastern Washington. But there’s a potential solution that’s not only cheap, but also cute and furry: beavers.
Ahhhhh the sweet music of recognition. Wait, I need some popcorn and a tissue. Okay, go ahead.
Here’s the problem: according to climate scientists, warmer temperatures are already melting mountain snows earlier in the spring. That leaves streams and rivers short on water in mid-summer, just when salmon, farms, and homes really need it. Scientists expect that, as winter temperatures in the Northwest rise, the state’s summertime water shortages will only get worse. (The preamble in this state Executive Order has a nice, succinct rundown of the impacts of climate change that the state has already experienced.)
Okay so climate change is a’comin and we need little dams implemented to hold our water in streams so that we can eek it out after the rains and not waste it all in runoff to the sea. I guess that makes sense.
That might sound pretty reasonable, except for a few niggling details – like that fact that the dams would likely cost Washington taxpayers billions of dollars, while flooding thousands of acres of farmland and wildlife habitat.
Hmmm, let me think. What is the cheapest way to build and maintain little dams along the watershed? Gosh, if only there were some way to use materials already in the area and not have to transport them. It could be tricky to get started, you might have the repair crew actually on site 24/7 to make sure it operates the way its supposed to. They may have to try over and over to get the structure of the dams just right in the beginning. And our state is broke, so they’re going to have to work for practically nothing. Where are you going to find a construction company like that?
The Lands Council, a Spokane based non-profit, thinks that it has a better idea: enhance beaver populations, and let the furry wonders do the dam construction for free!
Ohhhh my goodness. Check out the schedule for the “Working Beavers Forum” conference at the end of the month. I could almost cry. No wait, I am crying. Our friend Sherri Tippie will be there talking about relocation, along with a host of amazing others. What I wouldn’t give to be a fly on the wall.
Interestingly, our beaver friend from New Zealand just started the exact same conversation with his local magistrate who is planning on charging taxpayers to build a little series of dams to deal with their drought conditions. For the record, there are no beaver in New Zealand, but plenty of willow. I’ll keep you posted how that develops.
Photo:Cheryl Reynolds
