Because the beaver isn't just an animal; it's an ecosystem!

Category: Beavers and water


There has been such loud response to Monday’s Minnesota research that I have been waiting for an interview or two to pop up. WTIP community radio was first with this excellent audio recorded with the study author and host  Joe Friedrichs. It really is compelling stuff. Especially when he says that beavers keep water on the landscape AND when we kill them it reduces water on the landscape, but then says “I’m not going to say anything about whether or not we should keep killing them”. HAHAHA

Study analyzes beavers as ‘ecosystem engineers’ near North Shore rivers

A new study shows the critical role beavers play in regulating water storage along the North Shore.

The project reviewed data and photographs from the Kadunce and Cascade rivers in Cook County, as well as the Manitou, Split Rock and Knife rivers down the shore.

The study is considered one of the most extensive reviews analyzing the extent to which beavers are essential for freshwater conservation and ecosystem stability by creating and preserving aquatic and wetland environments in Minnesota.

 

(more…)


I sure hope you’re sitting down when you visit the website today, because the findings of this new study on fires in the west are going to knock you off your feet entirely. Chalk this up to the “I told you so” category.

Researchers investigate combined effect of drought, fire on stream communities, highlighting importance of headwaters

Despite the importance of these waterways, scientists still don’t fully understand how they respond to fires. That’s why a team at UC Santa Barbara and the National Forest Service have studied wildfire impacts on streams over the past five years in parts of the Los Padres National Forest. The scientists’ new findings appear as the cover story in the December issue of Freshwater Science.

The results of this study also highlighted the significance of stream headwaters as refuges for sensitive aquatic species during and drought. After favorable conditions return, fish, amphibians and invertebrates can repopulate suitable downstream areas. This insight reinforced the importance of protecting these areas to ensure the resilience and biodiversity of watersheds as a whole.

What? Are you saying that headwaters matter to sensitive species like frogs and steelhead? Gee if ONLY there were some kind of animal that could protect them every day for free, I’m wracking my brain to think of what it could be,

A flurry of research activity followed the Zaca Fire in 2007 and Jesusita Fire in 2009. “That work showed that the riparian zone—the area of streamside vegetation—is really important in determining stream responses because if the riparian zone burns, it opens up the canopy,” said lead author Scott Cooper, a research professor in the Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology. The added sunshine increases water temperatures and promotes algal growth, which in turn fosters a different community of algae-eating aquatic invertebrates. The reduced vegetation also results in increased runoff, erosion and sediment inputs that can change stream flow patterns, water quality and ultimately the community of animals in the stream.

In the short term, fires and landslides can increase creek flows because there are fewer plants drawing water from the soils and channels, Cooper explained. Increased flows during storms can scour streams and displace their flora and fauna, reducing their populations. Algae and certain invertebrates can quickly recolonize streams after flows recede, particularly if fire has opened up the riparian canopy. Streams often recover to pre-fire conditions within one to two years, he added, because vegetation quickly re-establishes in Mediterranean climates with their year-round growing seasons.

Gee that vegetation returning sure matters to streams. I guess it’s important that the roots reach the water and that mean’s it’s important the water table is as high as possible. It really would be great if there was something that helped these plants recover.

It’s still an open question whether drought hastens or delays an ecosystem’s reaction to fire. Fires often occur during droughts, when fuel is dry and temperatures are high. If these conditions continue, then the lack of water can slow the recovery of plants and delay a stream’s responses to later rain. On the other hand, heavy rains after a fire can cause floods, choke stream beds with sediment and, in extreme cases, lead to debris that remove most of the riparian vegetation. That said, rain can also promote the growth, which stabilizes soils and reduces erosion. “Over different timeframes, you can get very complicated results because rain can both stimulate plant growth while increasing stream disturbance,” Cooper said.

One thing consistently held true, though: Pools in stream headwaters were critical to the ecosystem’s . “They’re refuges, through drought and wildfire, for fish and other aquatic animals,” Cooper said. “This is where sensitive species survive during inclement times, then recolonize downstream reaches when conditions become more amenable.” As a consequence, populations contract and expand through droughts, wildfires and favorable conditions, preventing the disappearance of species from creeks.

Wait, pools matter THAT much? They’re the game changer? You mean IF there are pools wildlife survive after a fire and if there aren’t they don’t? Gosh these pools sound really important. Have you thought about what might make them? Like some kind of pool-creating creature that just goes around building spots where water piles up?


Oh right! That kind of creature!


Saving beavers is hard, hard work. Sometimes  I just need to watch this over and over. I bet you do too.

And if you’re really ready to make it a better place for you and for me like she was serenading the horse, you might try watching this talk by Dr. Ben Dittbrenner from his recent presentation to Columbia Springs. The surprising part to me is that I met Ben at the state of the beaver conference a decade ago when he was this clean shaven clean cut squeaky graduate student who asked to tag along my lunch with Mike Callahan. He was working for Snohomish public works in those days. Now he’s assistant professor at NorthEastern University.

I am really really old. (more…)


This was just released yesterday and you should get everyone you know to watch it. Carol Evans is blossoming in retirement. Clearly you need to be a little bit retired to fully speak your mind about beavers if you work for a large federal agency. Or a state agency, Or anywhere really. You get the idea.

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lightboxgroup=”” lightboxshownavigation=0 showimage=”” lightboxoptions=”” videowidth=600 videoheight=400 keepaspectratio=1 autoplay=0 loop=0 videocss=”position:relative;display:block;background-color:#000;overflow:hidden;max-width:100%;margin:0 auto;” playbutton=”https://www.martinezbeavers.org/wordpress/wp-content/plugins/wonderplugin-video-embed/engine/playvideo-64-64-0.png”] (more…)


You would think California would catch on, Eventually. I mean drought after drought. You would think all those almond growers would eventually wake up and smell the coffee so to speak. But you’d be wrong, California is robust in its capacity to remain ignorant.

Maybe not Oregon.

A unique way to conserve water

Rancher Jay Wilde shares how he uses man-made beaver dams to increase water availability on his ranch

PHOTO COURTESY OF BEAVERWORKS - Rancher Jay Wilde recently shared how he has used beaver dam analogues, human-made beaver dams, to conserve water on his ranch.

Rancher Jay Wilde recently shared how he has used beaver dam analogues, human-made beaver dams, to conserve water on his ranch.

As drought conditions persist locally, some members of the agriculture community were recently provided some unique water conservation tips.

Jay Wilde, a rancher in Preston, Idaho, presented “BDAs, Beavers and Bonanza on an Idaho Ranch” earlier this month at the Crook County High School auditorium. The event centered on his story of stream restoration using beaver dam analogues (BDAs) on his ranch. The event was provided by Crooked River Watershed Council and BeaverWorks Oregon.

Jay Wilde is the secret sauce on the beaver acceptability burger. If we had two of him in every state I could retire. I’m so impressed with how he talks to folks about the things they never believe me when I say them,

“This is a process that took Mr. Wilde about 15 years to finish and really implement,” Mercer said. “He had a vision of what it should be. He really felt like his land was broken, and it was his commitment and inspiration to really start healing the land.”

The Crooked River Watershed Council supports the land restoration method, highlighting several ways it could help the local watershed.

“The council believes bringing beavers back to their former and appropriate habitats increases the overall amount of water retained in the watershed, raises groundwater levels in areas associated with beaver ponds, and makes for a more resilient landscape,” said Chris Gannon, council coordinator for the Crook River Watershed Council. “Using tools such as BDAs to encourage beavers to set up a permanent presence may be necessary to create suitable conditions and bridge the time gap until they become established.”

I believe that too Jay! Let’s hope that a few people will follow your lead and convince their neighbors to do the same.

I have to end today with a  cautionary tale about what happens when you have a beaver mural painted by your front door. Yesterday comcast had to come back a second time to activate the phone line they said they activated the day before. This much improved tech announced his presence using the beaver knocker which is always a good sign. And then asked about the beaver mural. And also expressed interest in the ones he had seen in town and mentioned Tim Hon and the illuminaries.

Because you see he was also a muralist. He just finished one in Antioch. And was starting one in Pittsburg, where on used to work. And no I’m not kidding. So we chatted about mural painting and beavers  and keeping city leaders from interfering too much and he fixed our phone lines perfectly. Because sometimes  what you love doing is not the thing that pays the bills.[wonderplugin_video iframe=”https://youtu.be/QK8fanIDBt8″ lightbox=0 lightboxsize=1 lightboxwidth=960 lightboxheight=540 autoopen=0 autoopendelay=0 autoclose=0 lightboxtitle=”” lightboxgroup=”” lightboxshownavigation=0 showimage=”” lightboxoptions=”” videowidth=600 videoheight=400 keepaspectratio=1 autoplay=0 loop=0 videocss=”position:relative;display:block;background-color:#000;overflow:hidden;max-width:100%;margin:0 auto;” playbutton=”https://www.martinezbeavers.org/wordpress/wp-content/plugins/wonderplugin-video-embed/engine/playvideo-64-64-0.png”]

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