Experts say: Make way for BEAVERS
“The neighborhood meeting helped answer many of the questions about the possible benefits of the beaver dam. We also learned that their appetite for trees might not be limited to just those along the creek bank, and we may need to put up fencing to protect them from these night-time chewers. In the meantime, the ducks certainly like the expanded water areas, which makes things more scenic,” said Steven and Marsha Morasch.
Alice Szanto has lived in the area for 20 years, and her grandparents lived there before she did. None of them had ever seen the creek rise like it did in November. When she found out about the beaver dam, like the other neighbors, she was worried about trees falling and damage to the hillsides.
At the meeting she learned that “the beaver might chew a substantial amount of trees, but the county can keep planting them, and there are ways to protect the trees we want to keep. We have a living National Geographic series in our backyards. I consider myself lucky,” Szanto said.
Linda Burgard said it was helpful to have someone from the ODFW at the meeting to answer questions, and, like the other neighbors, was worried about trees disappearing. But now that she knows how to protect trees on her property, she feels more positive about the beaver dam.
“The pond in the backyard is great now. We have more ducks, and yesterday our beloved heron returned. The grandkids also love all the new wildlife,” she said.
There are now two smaller beaver dams at the same site, and he said that “the new beaver dams will improve salmon, bird, amphibian and mammal habitat. The dams will retain mud and sediment in the pond, slow down the waters and infiltrate more water into the ground. This will benefit the creek and residents downstream.”
Look who’s giving Washington State a run for its money! How wonderful to read this smart work on Kellogg Creek! The closer one gets to Portland historically the greater the beaver IQ drop – but not now. To have ODFW on hand with pro-beaver education takes my breath away. Of course I wrote Susan Barnes right away! My email tells me she has been cc’d in some contact I had with the area in the past.
The beaver dam is certainly a positive for the watershed, said Mike Pinker, who lives in the neighborhood.
“Beavers provide good environmental services. They help cool the water temperature and create habitat for other animals. A beaver community on Kellogg Creek is the sign of a healthy watershed; beavers are our partners, and they are able to do a much better job than we can,” he said.
You really should go read the whole thing. I love everything about this story. It might be the best news I’ve read in Oregon – certainly in a while.
One more bit of scary good news – the beaver-steelhead workshop I’ll be presenting at in Santa Barbara next month is SOLD OUT. In fact it’s the only one that is!
Yesterday’s donation came all the way from Lithuania and will be cause for a definite bidding war. Giedre Karramba of Karramba Design donated a lovely pair of beaver sterling silver stud earrings and a matching necklace that will delight everyone who is lucky enough to see them. I am still trying to wrap my mind around someone donating from such a long way away. But you should definitely plan to bid on these. They are even cuter in person.
