Tag: Joe Wheaton

Beaver Reverberations

heidi08 Beavers and climate change, Beavers and salmon, Beavers and trout, Beavers and water May 19, 2017

Yesterday’s blockbuster report is sounding bells all over the northern hemisphere. (Probably everywhere but Wisconsin.) The latest accolades come from Canada, where the CBC wants every countryman to know that beavers are Worth A Dam.

Beavers are dam important for the ecosystem

The beaver is a Canadian icon. To some it’s also a royal pest. Beavers are more than just a nuisance, though. They are also important engineers of our environment. A new study published in the journal PLOS One has discovered just how important beavers are in protecting habitat.

What role do beaver ponds play in the ecosystem?

There are lots of species that rely on beavers to engineer the environment to suit their own needs. Creatures like the Sandhill crane, the mule deer, and, most importantly, juvenile fish. Not only that, when there is a beaver pond, the water is able to be better absorbed by the land, allowing it to resist both droughts and floods a lot better.

For a long time, it was believed that beaver ponds increased the temperature of water in the ecosystem due to its greater surface area absorbing more energy from the sun. That was always thought as a possible way that beaver ponds could be damaging the surrounding ecosystem.

This assumption has been overturned by new research. Nick Weber is with Eco-Logical and his team conducted experiments along Bridge Creek, Oregon.

“As the volume of surface water increases,” he says, “it just takes a lot longer for streams to heat up during hot summer days.”

The work was done in the high desert of Oregon where temperatures can soar in the summer. But it’s not much different from what we can get in Canada, especially as our world warms.

Why is this significant?

It’s significant because the high temperatures of river water — which on some days can reach up to 29 C — is problematic for fish like salmon and trout. These fish need temperatures closer to 25 C, which is exactly what is achieved by having a beaver pond. Having much cooler water increases the survival of juvenile fish like the steelhead trout.

Needless to say, when we are living in the current warming world, it’s important to find ways to reduce the impact of higher global and water temperatures on important stocks like salmon.

So the proposal is to take inspiration from nature, and the beaver, to help restore habitat by constructing artificial beaver dams. And the coolest part is that beavers eventually take over the dams after a few years.

Not only can the dams restore river systems, but it means beavers might be guided into building dams where they might reduce the impact on people’s lands.

Hurray for beavers! Everybody worships at the ‘salmon and trout’ alter, it seems. Birds and frogs don’t matter as much. But that’s fine. Whatever reason you find to appreciate beavers is good by me. It’s wonderful how surprised folks are by this news, which is old news to us. I think Pollock was talking about the cooling effects of hypoheic exchange 10 years ago, but better late than never.

All this excitement has clearly made the researchers giddy, because yesterday Dr. Wheaton forwarded me an email from the senior author, Nick Weber, excitedly showing photographic evidence of beavers using the BDA’s they had made. Look closely at the picture, because I see something other than beavers. I especially like that patient coyote.

Do you think Joe Wheaton is trolling me?

Come on in, the water’s fine!

heidi08 Beavers, Beavers and climate change, Beavers and salmon, Beavers and trout, Beavers and water, Environmental, Who's saving beavers now? May 18, 2017

Another block buster from our friends at the science site that should be called “Beaver Phys.org”. This morning the news has also been picked up by plenty of followers including “New Scientist”. Because beavers are just rock stars like that, you know?

Beaver dams may buffer against temperatures that threaten sensitive species

Both natural and artificial beaver dams may alter stream temperatures which may benefit temperature-sensitive salmonid species, according to a study published May 10, 2017 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Nicholas Weber from Eco-Logical Research, Inc., USA, and colleagues.

Beavers are ecosystem engineers, altering stream temperatures by building dams that increase surface water storage and connectivity with groundwater. Some studies suggest that the dams make water warmer and so are detrimental to salmonids, which are sensitive to temperature. Weber and colleagues tracked beaver dams and monitored water temperatures along 34 kilometers of the John Day River in Oregon over eight years. In addition, the team assessed the impact of artificial beaver dams on water temperature along four reaches of Bridge Creek.

Yes beaver dams lower the temperature for sweaty fish. We here at beaver central have been touting this fact for years. Pollock proved it years ago, but now it’s especially even more extra proven. Has any creek been the subject of more study than Bridge Creek? I doubt it.

The researchers found that beaver dams may alter stream temperatures to the benefit of salmonids. Studies suggest that juvenile steelhead salmonids in Bridge Creek experience extreme stress at about 25°C, and the researchers found that maximum daily temperatures in much of the study stream exceed this temperature for much of the summer. However, temperatures rarely exceeded 25°C after the proliferation of beaver dams, likely because they help moderate temperatures both by increasing water storage and encouraging exchange between surface water and groundwater exchange. This fits with the fact that both beavers and salmonids were once more abundant and widely distributed in North America, and suggests that beaver dams could help mitigate the thermal degradation that can threaten sensitive species.

Dr. Weber notes: “Beaver are often considered a keystone species, and their propensity to build dams plays an integral role in maintaining biodiversity and enhancing aquatic processes that benefit an array of aquatic and terrestrial organisms. Recognizing this, beaver relocation efforts and installation of structures designed to mimic the form and function of beaver dams are increasingly being used as effective and cost-efficient approaches for restoration of stream and riparian function. Despite this trend, the notion that beaver dams negatively impact stream habitat remains common, specifically the assumption that beaver dams increase summer stream temperatures to the detriment of cold-water species such as trout and salmon. However, by tracking beaver dam distributions and water temperatures throughout a high-desert, scientists have demonstrated that beaver dam can actually reduce high stream temperatures by increasing surface water storage and connectivity with cool groundwater. These results suggest that construction of artificial beaver dams and beaver relocation projects could be used to mitigate the impact of human induced thermal degradation that may threaten sensitive cold-water species.”

If you need the reference to go look up it’s here. Feel free to notice how many of the names are friends of this website.

Weber N, Bouwes N, Pollock MM, Volk C, Wheaton JM, Wathen G, et al. (2017) Alteration of stream temperature by natural and artificial beaver dams. PLoS ONE 12(5): e0176313. doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0176313

Dr. Wheaton wrote yesterday to make sure I saw it, but three beaver readers had beat him to it. Let’s hope all those backwards thinkers in Wisconsin who rip out beaver dams to protect their baby trout read it and at least think, huh??? Maybe they’ll even start to read the research later than the 1970 study they tuck under their pillows at night.

Our Edinburgh professor friend saw this photo last night uploaded on to the California Academy of Sciences page “biographic” and sent it our way. I knew you’d appreciate it. No sissy GoPro camera for this lovely shot. Read about the sturdy and patient French photographer who got this beautiful shot.

Castor d'Europe; Castor fiber; transporte une branche sous l'eau; BBC 2011 — **Louis-Marie Preau** has been watching beavers in the Loire region of western France for more than 15 years. He’s never forgotten the first time he saw an adult delivering a tasty branch to its family underwater—but it took him four years to successfully capture this intimate scene. Each evening, **wearing snorkeling gear and weights, he would lie motionless on the riverbed for two to three hours**. Finally, one evening, his patience paid off. Preau had only just plunged into the water and positioned himself when this adult returned with a freshly harvested poplar branch to feed to its three young kits. He was impressed by the beaver’s strength and determination, as it dragged this leafy meal through the water. Saumur, France

Beaver Schemes and Strategies

heidi08 Beavers and water, Beavers elsewhere, Who's saving beavers now? April 2, 2017

Did you read beaver April fool’s yesterday? (If you didn’t drop down one post and give yourself a treat). In addition to wistfully panging all day with what ‘might have been’, it also made me extremely happy. Yellow Springs (where the story was from) was the beaver case we got involved in Ohio where the community NEARLY forced the council to make a U-turn on some beaver-killing plans, but was overturned at the last moment. As you can see the meme still survived as a punchline in the April Fool’s article which means it’s still on everyone’s mind. In the words attributed to Ghandi:

First they ignore you
Then they laugh at you
Then they fight with you
Then you win.

Clearly Ohio is at Stage Two on a grand scale, which is pretty amazing this early in the game. Expect some big beaver news from them soon. And thank you Lauren Shows for my favorite April Fool’s story EVER.

Meanwhile, Joe Wheaton writes that he has zero idea who was behind that article yesterday because no reporter ever talked to him about it. He was surprised that the webinar was so well attended, which is wonderful in every way you can think of. I wonder if more articles will come creeping across our paths?

Yesterday I received two lovely copies of the new children’s book “The Skydiving Beavers” by Susan Wood. It’s going to be released on “International Beaver Day” April 7. I agreed to do a short interview with Susan for the release but I can proudly include them for our silent auction now.

Regular readers of this website know I braced myself for the story because Idaho’s great beaver fling is not my favorite beaver tale. But this book does an excellent job of introducing the thoughtful fish and game official, Elmo Heter, who came up with that crazy scheme. He remembered all that left over parachute silk from WWII and invented the box that would open on impact. Then ran several trials with a plucky beaver named ‘Geranimo” to make sure it worked.

2017-04-01-12-53-page-2

What a pleasant surprise to flip to the ‘author’s notes’ at the back and find this: I’m going to imagine it winds up in every school library around the country, and some child or parent who wants to learn more will read it and save their local beavers as well.

Thanks, Susan and Sleeping Bear Press for the donation and including our grounded famous beavers in Martinez.

Cheap and Cheerful Beaver Webinar

heidi08 Beaver Behavior, Beaver-themed merchandise, Beavers, Beavers and climate change, Beavers and Forests, Beavers and Frogs, Beavers and Ice, Beavers and Insects, Beavers and salmon, Beavers and trout, Beavers and water, Beavers elsewhere, Educational, Environmental, Who's saving beavers now? February 16, 2017

I know, I know. Folks are jealous they don’t get to attend the State of the Beaver conference and listen to 24 hours of brilliant discussion about beaver ecology in the middle of a ringing and buzzing, smoke-filled casino in February. You might even be saying to yourself, why does Heidi get to drive 8 hours through the snowy steep grade traffic and eat hotel food just because she will be rambling on about beavers yet again? I understand. I realize how fortunate I am to be going at all, and your much-expected envy is the weighty burden of the lucky, I know. But there’s something everyone can do instead. And it means only a click of a button.

This webinar is scheduled for Mar 22, 2017 12:00 pm US/Eastern.

Stream and riparian area degradation is widespread across the Intermountain West, yet restoration resources are limited. Relatively simple and low-cost alternatives are needed to scale up to the scope of the problem. A renewed appreciation of the role of the once widespread beaver has revealed insights about how this ecosystem engineer affects stream hydrology, geomorphology, riparian vegetation and habitat for other species with its dam building activities. Drawing upon lessons learned about how nature heals degraded systems, conservationists are increasingly seeking ways to recreate beneficial effects associated with beaver dam-building activities where appropriate to achieve a variety of stream and riparian recovery goals. Beaver Dam Analogues (BDAs) are one low cost, ‘cheap and cheerful’ technique used in beaver-assisted restoration to mimic natural beaver dams, promote beaver to work in particular areas, and accelerate recovery of incised channels. This webinar will provide a brief overview of beaver ecology and hydrogeomorphic feedbacks, beaver-assisted restoration, BDA design and application, and NRCS planning considerations and resources.

A “Join” button will appear on THIS WEBSITE for the conference the 15 minutes before it begins. There is no need to register and attendance is free. You can check if your tablet or PC has everything it needs to participate by clicking here. Course credit is offered for Forest Managers and more. So check if it applies to you. This course is offered in conjunction with the USDA.

If I have my way, someday soon the entire State of the beaver conference will be available online so folks from everywhere can benefit from the instruction. If Tufts can manage it, I’m sure Oregon State can do it eventually. Until then, I will do what I can to keep everyone posted.

In-the-know in Idaho

heidi08 Beavers and climate change, Beavers and water October 28, 2016

Maybe I was a little bit right about late October. Yesterday we got some wonderful beaver articles. I’ll save the delight from Cows and Fish in Alberta because we already know about them. This was a bigger surprise from Idaho of all places!

Beaver bring back Birch Creek watershed

Necia P. Seamons

Two beaver families are making homes in Birch Creek. It may not seem to be earth-shattering news to some people, but the tale of their return to the creek reveals several powerful concepts. The critters represent a decade of effort and many more years of personal growth on the part of one dedicated Mink Creeker, and the benefits his efforts will have for people that will never know him.

Twenty-one years ago, Jay Wilde returned to the home he had been raised in as a child– the last house before the Forest Service border on Birch Creek. He always had a dream to raise and sell cattle, but life had taken him away from his hometown and his dream.

“I had to do something to get the stream flowing so the cattle could utilize the feed the land was producing,” he said.

Now you might have guessed already how this ends. But read on anyway and follow his misguided effort first to “Rip out all the cottonwood trees because they were too thirsty” and eventually go to Utah state to ask their advice. The article doesn’t say but I confirmed this morning that lucky for all of us he happened to connect with Joe Wheaton and Nick Bouwes, who suggested the answer might just be a little more flat-tailed than he suspected.

But something was bothering him. He remembered from time he spent in the hills as a boy in the ‘50s that water should be running year round from Birch Creek.

“There were all sorts of plants and animals that depends on that stream having water in it. …We just can’t throw our hands in the air and walk away. That’s not fair to all of the life that depends on that water,” he thought.

“One morning in 2006 I was sitting at my kitchen table at 4:30 a.m., waiting for the caffeine from that first cup of coffee to kick in when it dawned on me… there was no beaver activity in the drainage,” he wrote.

“My family and friends spent much time fishing, swimming, and watching the activity in the beaver ponds. Now in 2006, those ponds are all gone and there’s no sign of the rodents that built and maintained them. Could it be that the absence of those critters with their ponds and harvesting the woody species in the riparian areas was contributing to the demise of our stream?” he wondered.

Ooh ooh I know! Call on me! Now shhh Heidi, sometimes people need to work out answers for themselves. Jay was on the right track and he just needed a little nudge to get there.

The questions fueled further research and Wilde contacted anyone he could find with knowledge of beaver and their impact on an area. What he discovered was that when beaver dam up an area, the water table around the dam is raised significantly. The ground acts like a big sponge that keeps the water cool and slowly releases it as the season progresses.

“We don’t actually see any more water created. What we see is a change in the timing that it is released,” he wrote.

Through much trial and error, including the disappearance of 13 different beaver he transplanted in Birch Creek, over several years, Wilde said he finally found the right group of hydrologists, biologists, and agency directors to help him create an environment in which the beaver would stay. (He estimates over 100 people have been involved in the entire repopulation process.)

In 2014, they created 19 mini-dams to encourage the beaver families they imported. He discovered that beaver are highly family-oriented and won’t stay put without their complete family unit,

So Nick and Joe was the one that introduced those beavers and gave him ideas about BDAs to make the water more beaver friendly. And eventually it all paid off.

Last year, beaver were introduced to the area again, and this time, they were still there when Wilde returned last spring to look for them. The creatures had transformed one grassy meadow into a series of terraced dams, with water flowing out each side of them.

The beaver have built up some of the temporary dams, ignored others, and built their own dams. They are in the process of building a lodge on one of them.

Now, in late October, water is still running in Birch Creek and native cutthroat trout have found their way into the dams.

Last fall, he and some of the professors from USU held a meeting to let his Birch Creek neighbors know what was going on.

“About 20 people came,” said Lyla Dettmer of the Franklin Soil and Water Conservation office. “

And Scene! That may be the very best journey of realization I’ve ever read, and I’ve read a few I can tell you. This is a lovely article to tuck away and read again or share with your disbelieving friends.Thanks to the beautiful writing of the editor Necia P. Seamons, it also has the very good sense to end with a paraphrase of a quote we will recognize from our good friend John Muir.

Wilde has learned much in the pursuit of improving the Birch Creek watershed, and his efforts offer much in understanding the impact one person can have, the power of education and the importance of a lifelong pursuit of education, the value of knowledge carried by a community’s older residents, the effectiveness of cooperation, and that all life is connected.