Time for some good news for a change. This dropped from the sky two days ago but I had grim things I needed to report on first. It’s Sunday night. Let’s have a nice beaver-bask and read something positive for a change. From Sean Kriletich at the Calaveras Enterprise,
‘Smokey the Beaver’ and the role furry aquatic critters play in preventing wildfire spread
These warm winter days have kept my hands busy in the soil and forest, reducing the amount of time I would ordinarily spend on research. However, this week I did take time to follow the sandhill cranes north and join over 50 people to attend the Scott River Watershed Information Forum in Siskiyou County, Calif. Over the course of three days, this event featured a wealth of information, ranging from site visits to mine tailings restoration projects and shaded fuel breaks, to presentations in the historic and very comfortable Etna Theater.
Nice to know someone was paying attention! Our friends at the Scott River Watershed will be so pleased their message as heard. Calaveras county isn’t always the kindest too beavers, so I’d love them to get smarter.
In 2020, Emily and her colleague Andrew Whittle published the study “Smokey the Beaver: beaver-dammed riparian corridors stay green during wildfire throughout the western United States.” They analyzed the impact of large wildfires in five western states on streams dammed by beavers in comparison to riparian areas uninhabited by beavers and concluded that “beaver damming plays a significant role in protecting riparian vegetation during wildfires, across all landscapes.” Their study also found that beaver complexes play an important role in providing a refuge for all types of wildlife during a fire. After all, it’s not only humans who need wildfire evacuation center.
In the last decade, we have seen the typical wildfire grow from tens of thousands of acres to hundreds of thousands of acres. Roads and rivers no longer halt the spread of today’s fires. This study provides clear evidence that beaver activity slows down water in rivers and streams, spreading it out and storing it in the landscape, which significantly reduces the spread of wildfire.
If California is going to have fires, the state should recognize how beavers can help: Before, during and after. I’m so happy that at least this attendee as paying attention.
Dr. Fairfax concludes, “perhaps instead of relying solely on human engineering and management to create and maintain fire-resistant landscape patches, we could benefit from the beavers’ ecosystem engineering to achieve the same goals at a lower cost.” In the Scott River watershed, northwest of Mt. Shasta, a committed and growing group of people from all walks of life are doing just that. They are working to make the ecosystem more friendly to the hardworking, water-loving beaver. In turn, increased beaver activity is creating spawning habitats for salmon, keeping creeks flowing longer into the dry season and protecting homes and ecosystems from wildfire.
OH PLEASE let the future start now! And please let every person in California and the arid west listen to the message and start paying attention. In order for beavers to HELP we need to stop killing them long enough to let them make a difference. We can do that right?
