West Side Wildlife: Canadian Beaver, Castor Canadensis
The greatest problem today with beaver on the Jordan, is that they no longer have either their historic, longtime predators like wolves and cougar, nor fur trappers to help control their numbers. Beaver skins have long since been replaced by the likes of other natural insulations like wool, or by newer synthetic materials like Dacron to help keep us warm, and fur trapping is now mostly practiced by the few folk still practicing mountain man techniques. Therefore, while populations of both beaver and humans have continued to increase, the encroachment of human development towards the river has resulted in conflicts between these two mammals.
There are areas where beaver have cut down large sections of trees along the river. Efforts to plant trees along the Parkway for shade, beautification, and wildlife restoration projects are hindered by this animal that has historically provided so many benefits to Americans. Some solutions include, protecting the trunk of every tree with chain link fencing, but that could be unsightly. Beaver can be live-trapped and transplanted to areas that would benefit from their works, or they could be merely trapped and killed to control their overpopulation in specific areas where they have become a problem.
No predators, no mountain lions or coyotes. Well, there’s nothing really surprising here. Another author complaining about these ‘water savers’ in Utah, not a bad start right? I mean we’ve seen worse?
In researching this article, I was unable to find any reference by trappers, explorers or even early settlers of beaver being present on the Jordan River, although they referred to most other wildlife. Today, however, we do find an abundance of beaver here. They do not build beaver dams on the Jordan River as they do in more forested areas. Here they generally build their homes in burrows in the riverbank, although they occasionally build a wooden lodge on top of the bank. Entrances to these homes are usually underwater with fresh air available only through a breathing hole dug above the water level.
Such a historian! Doing research for his detail-laden article! Who is this thoughtful genius? The column bio says “Dan Potts is a Poplar Grove resident, local naturalist and President of Salt Lake County Fish and Game Association.” So he must know what he’s talking about. It’s weird, Dan that you couldn’t find a single historical mention of beavers in the Jordan river! I wonder if they just showed up? No wonder we’re having so many problems with them! They’re probably not even native!
Oh wait, you did remember that Heber C. Kimball, only named the Jordan river until 1847 right? (Because it reminded him of the one from the bible that flows through the fertile valley. ) Before that it was called the Proveau River after Etienne Provost, the french canadian trapper who was the first white man to see the great salt lake around 1825. A year before, he and his men were attacked by Snake Indians for trapping beaver on that very river. Eight (white) men were killed. In the 23 years before it was renamed, the Rocky Mountain fur company, the Hudson Bay Fur Company, and the John Jacob Astor fur company all were eager to enjoy the Proveau’s bounty. I’m pretty sure you could have found some reference to that.
Well sure, not everyone knows that rivers change names or knows how to use the google. Heidi, you’re being too hard on the man. Have some compassion and let the fellow make his point already. There are too many beavers in Jordan river!.And he should know!
They are now considered the largest rodents on our continent, but at one time (around a million years ago) grew as large as oxen, and possessed unicorn-like horns to help protect themselves from the larger predators that roamed their territory. After humans arrived, however, most of these large megafauna (a scientific term for large animals) disappeared, and today’s beaver are much smaller and largely defenseless.
Beavercorns! The unibeaver! And that, ladies and gentlemen, is the very best beaver myth you are ever likely to read on this or any website in the entire history of the world. Turns out the author of this fine article did know how to use the Google – he read about Paleaocastor, but didn’t realize that the description he was stealing was actually a wiki of the animated movie “ICE AGE”.
In all fairness there was a very small burrowing beaver that dug excavations scientists didn’t understand for a long time and this kinda looked like a unicorn’s horn. There were lots of arguments in the early 1900’s about whether this was a plant or fossil or result of beaver claws, but in the end one was found with a palaeocastor allowing the mystery to be settled that the tunnel had actually been dug with it’s TEETH.
Remember, Mr. Potts is the president of the Salt Lake County Fish and Game Association. He must know what he’s talking about. You’d think a wildlife association would want to keep beavers around to encourage more wildlife to associate with. Never mind. He’s the president and his wife is on the board of directors.
The Salt Lake County Fish and Game Association (SLCF&GA) is a private non-profit foundation whose primary mission is the preservation and protection of Utah’s wildlife and natural resources.
I think I will treasure this article more than any I’ve ever read. I’m been told I’m a very fanciful person. I think about beavers a lot and have a good imagination. But I don’t think,even I, could ever in my wildest dreams have come up with anything as delightful as this. Thank you, Dan!
