Nature’s engineers: Volunteers will learn what to look for during beaver count
Tammy Scardino POCATELLO — The public is invited to scout out areas near the East Fork of Mink Creek today, Jan. 28 in order to search for signs of beaver activity.Interested persons should meet up with members of the Portneuf Valley Audubon group at 8:30 a.m. at the Pocatello Nordic Ski Complex.
Mike Settell, the group’s planning/grant coordinator, will clue people in on what they should be looking for ahead of the official “Beaver Count 2012” event slated for Feb. 11 at 8:30 a.m.
Can I come? Oh, I’m at Mare Island talking about birds and Beavers that day. The grant was awarded to Portneuf Valley Audubon Society. How’s that for enviable? Well, let me start you off with a count of 4! I’m trying to imagine a state where it is generally assumed that beavers are important enough to count. Nope can’t do it. Let me try again. I don’t believe CDFG has bothered since 1920 here, they just apply the regular number “too many” and leave it at that.
We are trying to get an accurate estimate of the beaver populations in the Mink Creek drainage area. To my knowledge, the last census that was recorded for this area was back in 1989. The beavers help cool down the water and help create a deeper pool of water, both of which make for a more favorable habitat for fish. In particular, the Yellowstone Cutthroat benefit from this here locally. The beavers also help improve the quality of water, because the dams they build block debris from moving downstream where the sediment can clog up areas of the river. The animals also help with flood control efforts. Their existence actually raises the water table up so that the river can maintain flood plain connectivity.
Mike is especially interested in helping youth understand and connect with beavers. Hmmm. Well, California may be light years behind Idaho in its approach to beaver management, and have not even the vaguest understanding of their value in the watershed but Worth A Dam has some great ideas for helping kids connect with the importance of beavers. Idaho State! Beaver festival Idaho? Think about it….
