Category: Beavers and trout

SOME GOOD NEWS AND SOME STUPID NEWS

Today’s beaver news is brought to you by “SOMETHING WONDERFUL” and “SOMETHING STUPID”. Which helping would you like first? My Catholic upbringing always directs me to get the bad thing out of the way first, so let’s talk about beavers and carbon, shall we?

This is from yesterday’s phys.org, but it’s not the kind of report that gets a special beaver graphic.

Beavers have an impact on the climate

“An increase in the number of beavers has an impact on the climate since a rising water level affects the interaction between beaver ponds, water and air, as well as the carbon balance of the zone of ground closest to water,” says Petri Nummi, University Lecturer at the University of Helsinki.

Growing beaver populations have created a large number of new habitats along rivers and ponds. Beaver dams raise the water level, enabling the dissolution of the organic carbon from the soil. From beaver ponds, carbon is released to the atmosphere. Part of the carbon settles down on the bottom, ending up used by plants or transported downstream in the water.

Oh so THAT’s the problem is it! All those damn beavers releasing all that carbon by saving water for us to drink and water our crops. Forget the fossil fuel industry, lets stop all the beavers!This is my favorite paragraph. It is so rich with knowledge and precision.
urrent estimates indicate that beaver ponds range from carbon sinks to sources of carbon. Beaver ponds and meadows can fix as much as 470,000 tons of carbon per year or, alternatively, release 820,000 tons of carbon annually. Their overlapping functions as carbon sinks and sources make landscapes moulded by beavers complex.
Okay, either beaver ponds are REALLY REALLY GOOD or their REALLY REALLY BAD, and our scientists in Helsinki are hard at work flipping coins to find out which,

Alright we’ve eaten our spinach, now lets settle in for our dessert, shall we? This wonderful work is from our friends at the Miistakis Institute and Cows and Fish. It will be a great resource for handing out to agencies or officials who don’t know (or need to reminded of) their fish facts. Give this a second to load and don’t forget to check the second page because its worth it.

Here’s the link to it on their website because I know you’ll want to pass it on.
MIR_BeaverAndFish_FactSheet_JUL2018_FINAL_ART

BEAVERS UNLIMITED: NEW MEXICO CHAPTER

heidi08 Beavers and trout June 3, 2018

A nice article this week from Trout Unlimited’s coordinator, Toner Mitchell, in New Mexico. I especially like how it talks about A) the improvements beavers make to streams B) A flow device installed by fish and game and C) The way that when people have their minds made up one way about beavers they simply DON’T SEE anything else other than what they expect.

Voices from the River: Beavers as tools

I recently visited a tailwater stream known for its capacity to produce lots of brown trout, some of them quite large. The reservoir feeding this stream is operated exclusively for downstream agricultural users, the result of which is that the fishery is also renowned for its poor conditions in winter, when dam releases are curtailed and the stream becomes a thin vein of shallow puddles, trickles, and exposed spawning redds.

Since this stream is in the coldest corner of New Mexico, anchor ice is common. I was pleased to see the latest work of the beaver population, knowing that their ponds would provide winter refuge for fish. But I was there to see the leveling device (beaver deceiver) installed by the New Mexico Game and Fish department to mitigate the legitimate though misplaced concern of downstream irrigators, who felt that the beavers were holding back valuable water from ranches and farms. The deceiver was working as intended, sending water downstream while limiting the pond’s depth and expanse so as not to inundate an adjacent parking lot.

Isn’t that a lovely start to an article? I only had to look up one phrase (anchor ice) so I can now tell you it refers to ice underwater attached to the bottom of the pond – this makes it a lot easier for the stream to freeze solid. In fact streams lacking anchor ice almost never do. You can see how the freezing would create an insurmountable problem for baby trout, and how a beaver swimming back and forth through the water every day and breaking holes in the ice over and over would help.

My next stop was a nearby fly shop. I proudly reported my observations to the proprietor, who proceeded to give me an earful. The stretch of stream occupied by the beavers had always been a money spot for his guides and their clients. Until, that is, the beavers took up residence. The pond had since become a bugless sucker hole devoid of trout, and though he acknowledged the positive impact of the beaver impoundment on riparian storage and late season flows, the shop owner judged the local beavers as a net detriment to the fishery. Beavers are either good or bad, he opined, never both.

The beaver is a keystone species, generally defined as an organism that exerts an outsized influence on the function and even formation of an ecosystem. Beaver dams capture peak flows, prolong spring runoff, while supporting and extending baseflows with water stored in riparian aquifers. Their deep ponds concentrate nutrients and macroinvertebrates; they provide shelter and security for trout, especially in winter.

The disgruntled fly shop owner hypothesized that his favorite run-turned-hated-beaver-pond might have warmed too much to harbor the trout it once did and, along with possibly consuming too much oxygen, accumulated silt may have buried insect production. For what little it’s worth, I’ve personally witnessed few instances where beavers have negatively impacted trout. I don’t doubt that it happens, certainly not in this case, but I think such stories should be viewed in the broader context of watershed health. Consider how many of our highest quality fisheries (and grazing pastures) were literally made by beavers. They cleared trees to build their dams, which filled with trapped sediment and forced channel migration across floodplains. Over time, floodplains expanded and thickened thanks to further beaver-induced sediment deposition. This long process created thick, spongy meadows, essentially grass-skinned reservoirs feeding streams with cooled groundwater.

Remember when you were a kid and there was a particular food you hated? Allow me to tell something from my 10 years as a day care teacher and 25 years in the child psychology field. You would contort your face with disgust, plug your nose and close your eyes and if your parents made you take a bite you would gag uncontrollably. I’ve long believed that even if, in those critical moments where you couldn’t see, your dad switched out the broccoli for chocolate cake or whatever, you would still wretch when taking a bite. Because everything you might try in that state of mind tastes horrid.

And every stream with beavers in it when you didn’t want them in the first place is horrible.

To hedge against drought, we must lift and spread water tables and reconnect streams with their floodplains, especially in headwater regions. Reconnected floodplains will also enable our streams to de-energize high-intensity precipitation events, particularly important in this era of common wildfire. Where beavers live, we must make them welcome, as they are the cheapest and most efficient means of restoring the greatest acreage of watershed in the shortest timeframe. They work around the clock and accept food as payment; no matter how hard we try, we will never find a better deal than that.

And where they don’t live, we must imitate them; thanks to conservation groups in New Mexico, including the Truchas Chapter of TU, imitating beavers may soon become the hottest trend in stream restoration. Volunteer-made beaver dam analogs (BDAs) employ natural materials and are designed to pass water, trap sediment, and raise riparian water tables. Combined with willow and cottonwood plantings—which provide stream shading and future beaver food—BDAs create true beaver habitat and often attract the real animals to continue this important work. As a wise man I know once said, “In times of flood, prepare for drought. In drought, prepare for flood.”

I’m not sure, but I think this guy may have been a beaver in a previous life.

Ahh what a lovely summary of beaver benefits. And also a nice description of beaver disbelief. Well done, Toner! I have to finish this find read with a classic photo from Rusty’s visit to Tulocay creek last night. It has been so long since I saw a beaver up close I felt a little pang looking at those eyebrows! Ahh vibrassa!

IT’S OFFICIAL. NOW I’VE SEEN EVERYTHING!

heidi08 Beavers and Scotland, Beavers and trout March 2, 2018

Yesterday two unexpected beaver news stories came my way talking about two things I thought would never, never happen. The first describes the unexpected new flow devices they’re installing in Scotland and the second is a blog from Virginia talking about the importance of… (wait for it)...beaver dams!

New ‘flow devices’ to be installed at loch in bid to outwit cunning beavers

FLOW devices known as “beaver deceivers” are to be installed in a Scottish loch as part of an ongoing battle of wits with a family of the cunning creatures. Beavers have been determined to dam outflows from the Loch of Kinnordy in Angus, preventing water from escaping via burns and causing flooding in the surrounding farmland and paths.

Until now, efforts to demolish the dams have failed as the resident animals simply rebuild them.RSPB Scotland, which manages the loch as a nature reserve, will now fit two so-called beaver deceivers in a bid to regain control of the water level from the growing beaver family.

Rather than destroying the dam, the deceivers create a leak which the beavers find difficult to detect and repair.

The project is being run by RSPB Scotland in partnership with owners Kinnordy Estate, with support from Scottish Natural Heritage and local communities. Uwe Stoneman, RSPB Scotland’s Tayside reserves manager, said: “Having beavers back in Scotland is tremendous and Kinnordy is an excellent home for them. Beavers are clever land and water managers.

Whooohooo beaver progress! Years ago the powers that be were SO opposed to beavers and changes in streams that they outlawed flow devices and I was asked to even conceal the name of the fellow that had been trained to install them! Now the cats outta the bag an flow devices are in the news. Just as normal as refrigerators or bicycle pumps. I can’t tell you how happy I am about that. When people understand how they can live with beavers they are more open to hearing about why.

Which brings us to our second article of the day, no less unexpected. It’s from the Virginia Tech Ichtheology class and it’s listing 10 ways to restore streams that help fish. Of course the shocking one had to be low down on the list. Check out number 9.

Virginia Tech Ichthyology Class

Ten Things You Must Know about Stream Restoration, by Don Orth

In a world dominated by humans, managing fisheries must include restoring modified aquatic ecosystems and habitats. Numerous approaches exist to achieve ecosystem restoration, habitat restoration, flood control, property protection, sediment management, water quality improvement, and aesthetic or recreational benefits (Wheaton et al. 2008). Although many riverine specialists are involved in this work, we all must play a role in educating citizens on the basics of stream and riverine restoration. In this essay, I summarize the ten things you and others must know to be effective stewards of streams and watersheds.

Don Orth is a professor in the Conservation Biology school of Virginia Tech. In fact, he’s the ‘Thomas Jones Professor’ which means his position is endowed by a former alumni who especially valued the field of fish. He works on ongoing research with his students and fish and wildlife to understand what benefits them fishes.

His list of things one does to improve streams includes all the usual things you would suspect. But what do you suppose made number 9 on his list?

In Oregon’s Bridge Creek Watershed, researchers built a number of beaver dam analogs to encourage increased beaver activity and restore healthy river habitat. Photo by Nick Weber.

9. Stream restoration may require beaver restoration.

Beavers dominated the waterscapes of North America before European colonists arrived. Stream restoration practitioners are using the beaver in many situations to restore riparian and wetland ecosystems that support declining populations of Pacific salmon and trout (Pollock et al. 2015). Although there are many human and beaver conflicts in our human-dominated landscapes, the use of beavers as partners along with human stakeholder involvement can provide numerous benefits to the landowners.

Ahhh the joyful refrain of beaver appreciation in the morning! Thank goodness for those ichthyologists, them are some of our proselytizers. And everybody believes them because everybody wants the fish.

Hurray for Dr, Orth!

NO DOUBT ABOUT TROUT

heidi08 Beavers and trout January 22, 2018

Our friends at Trout Unlimited have some great things to say about beavers. Sometimes. If they’re in Washington anyway. TU in Wisconsin is still ripping out dams to help trout, but hey, baby steps right?

Beaver Restoration in the Wenatchee River Basin

On February 13th, Cody Gillin and Robes Parrish will present about the exciting beginnings of the Beaver Restoration Project in the Wenatchee River basin. Cody will explain the history and benefits of beavers in our watershed, the relocation efforts of nuisance beavers, and how to volunteer for this new project.

The meeting will explain how beavers are ecosystem engineers whose activities trigger a cascade of ecological enhancements. Water storage, sediment retention, trout and salmon rearing habitat, flood mitigation, and increased biodiversity are just a few of the many beaver benefits.

Following the success of other relocation efforts, Trout Unlimited-Washington Water Project is initiating a beaver program in the Wenatchee Basin. Nuisance beaver will be relocated to suitable locations away from areas where they may come into conflict with human land uses. Outreach with landowners will offer tools and techniques for preventing beaver-related problems.

Tuesday, February 13th, 2018 – 6:30pm to Tuesday, February 13th, 2018 – 8:00pm

Robes Parrish is a fish biologist with FWS, and Cody Gillin is is a project manager at TU. Because Washington has expert beaver defenders to spare apparently. I’m ho-hum about the idea of relocating “nuisance” beavers, but that sentence in blue is REALLY exciting.

Do you think a branch of the federal government really teaching actual techniques for prevent beaver problems? Be still my heart! What a wonderful way to spend valentine’s eve! Although will Robes will still be there if there’s no federal government?

Everyone has been shaken up by that threat of a lawsuit on APHIS for trapping beavers in Oregon. Now folks want to make sure you know that beavers are still bad and cause plenty of problems, just in case you’ve been disoriented by the news. This letter from a goodol’ boy has lots to say about why beavers need killin’.

The beaver is the state animal, but it causes a host of problems

So the folks at the Center for Biological Diversity think that placing a culvert in a beaver dam will solve the problem? Aside from the great expense of putting in a culvert, old Bucky and his buddies would have it totally plugged in one night. And I am certain our good valley farmers would be thrilled to spend the money needed to put tens of thousands of guards around trees when taking out a problem beaver or two is all that is needed.

Being a beaver trapper for over 30 years, I know the average individual doesn’t have a clue as to the number of beavers in the Willamette Valley. To make it easy to understand: A whole bunch.

Beavers helpful for fish? Perhaps in some locations, but ut certainly not in Oregon’s Trout Creek Mountains.The Trout Creeks are home to North America’s rarest trout. This cutthroat trout is only found in two creeks. Beavers cause these trout grave problems by chewing down vegetation. That causes water temperatures to rise during hot summer months, and reduces insects that the trout feed on. I think I am correct in saying that a few years back, a large-scale trapping effort for beaver was carried out to aid the trout.

Worth Mathewson, Perrydale

Do you believe in Dopplegangers? I don’t know if I do but isn’t it kinda’ odd we BOTH have the same first name and he lives in a place called “Perrydale”. Never mind all that fancy scientific research or the involvement of the experts at Trout Unlimited. He knows what he knows and beavers are BAD for trout! They need killing and he needs paying for it, because obviously what else is he going to do. Teach gym?

The funny thing is, I think Mr Mathewson is an avid duck hunter whose several published books on the topic. I can only assume he’s a member of Ducks Unlimited too, which as you know has written a considerable amount about the value of beaver. If I could find his address I’d send him the Trout Unlimited article.

But clearly despite the similarities in name, Mr. Mathewson is not, in fact, worth a dam.

BEAVERS AND TROUT

heidi08 Beavers and trout, Urban beavers January 5, 2018

There are plenty of folks whounderstand the importance of beavers at both ends of the United States. And not nearly enough in the middle. Flyover country, as its called, doesn’t take kindly to beavers. So you can imagine how pleased I am about these two entries. The first is from Ohio and the second from just across the great lakes in Milwakee.

Ohio beavers

When I was a young fella and still living in Maine, one of the greatest things you could run across in the wild was a beaver dam. Most of the streams and brooks in my area held populations of wild brook trout. A beaver dam on a trout brook meant one thing to me. Bigger trout!

The dam usually backed up enough water to form at least a small pond, or in some cases, a very large pond or backwater. After a couple of years, these ponds let the brook trout population grow to larger sizes than in the shallow, narrower brooks. Their still waters let large populations of insects flourish and provide the trout with more than an adequate diet.

I have seen ancient beaver dams that were over a quarter of a mile in length and higher than 10 feet in places. However, a beaver dam of any size on a trout brook was a welcome sight. Normally, in most Maine trout brooks, the trout average about seven or eight inches in length with occasional ones over 10 inches.

Brook trout have to be one of the tastiest fish ever to have swum in an icy cold brook regardless of its size. In fact, after attaining a length of a foot or more, they don’t seem to taste as good. Don’t get me wrong — they are still at the top of my list of food fish no matter their length. There are no wild brook trout out here in Ohio, at least, not to my knowledge. If there were, I guarantee that Ohio’s attitude toward the beaver and its dams would change in a hurry!

My experience out here with beavers is limited. All I know is that there is a population of them at Lake Logan. However, from what I have been able to ascertain with my own eyes, any laws and regulations pertaining to beaver here in the hills are totally ignored and/or not enforced. Every time I have seen a beaver dam in this area, in very short order, it disappears. I have seen, and photographed, several beavers that had been shot and killed at the lake.

Foxholes make strange bedfellows. There are precious few folks in Ohio that care about beavers. So I’m going to be happy about this columnist who appreciates them because the trout get bigger in their ponds. (And everything else, too, by the way). Of course he doesn’t realize that beavers don’t dam large rivers because they don’t need to. And since there’s no dam there’s nothing to draw attention to their presence and get them killed.

They aren’t different beavers. They are the beavers that happen to survive.

Obviously the distinction between beavers that build dams and beavers that don’t build dams is a mysterious one for lots of people. The truth is there isn’t much mystery at all. Beavers build dams when they need to create deep water to protect their offspring. If there is ALREADY deep water there is no need to do it. That is all. Researchers have plucked beavers from deep streams (where they maintained zero dams) and swooped them upstream to little streams where dams were necessary. Then sat back to observe them BUILDING DAMS 0stemsibly for the first time.

It’s instinct, baby.

(Although instinct that is honed with practice I’ll say. Because we saw our beavers get better at building over time, and we saw that there were skilled beavers and stupid beavers in our 10 years of field research here in Martinez. Dad and Reed were the best dam builders of all 30 beavers. But everyone tried.) Even beavers in rehab ‘try’, With newspapers or towels or whatever they have on hand – er tooth;<You will see this confusion pops up in this nice film from Milwakee as well, when the woman from the urban ecology center remarks that ‘they don’t have the dam-building beavers’ there. They’re the same dam beavers! We will cut her slack. It’s a nice film and an easy mistake when you’ve haven’t had local beavers in 120 years.

I’m also very fond of the landowner whose so happy to have them back on his property.