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Our good friend Susan Kirks writes the following about Cheryl’s recent Sonoma re-discovery. (Go click on the link please so she gets full credit for her smart work.) Turns out that Sonoma is well aware of these beavers, and wants to take this chance to learn more about the animals. Tom Rusert of Birding Sonoma Valley (who just did an amazing job helping raise awareness with the Burrowing Owl Consortium that is near and dear to our friend Scott’s Artis heart) is working on this years Valley of the Moon Nature lectures and is interested in having me to come talk about beavers. He knows Cheryl because he sometimes picks up extra birds from IBRRC, and is very excited to teach about the relationship between birds and beavers! Think for just a moment about the important connections these beavers are making in the world….Susan-Scott-Tom-Cheryl…I’m thinking that’s the best way to encourage new advocates for these Sonoma beavers is to talk first hand about their impact on our urban creek. I’d be thrilled to do a little wine country, Jack-London trip that benefits all our friends. (No sacrifice too great…) Speaking of which my parents were having lunch in Calistoga last year, wearing their Worth A Dam shirts and met two other people wearing the same shirt! Small world about to get smaller!

Beavers in Sonoma!

by Open.Spaces

While we in Petaluma await in-depth information regarding the recent Petaluma River oil spill and cleanup, there’s good news to report about fresh water happenings in nearby Sonoma.

Cheryl Reynolds of the Martinez Beavers protection nonprofit, Worth a Dam, recently visited Sonoma, following up on beaver dams she’d observed a couple of years ago. She discovered 3 dams in Sonoma Creek, constructed by the efficient beaver engineers.

The Sonoma Beavers are using both rocks and sticks to build their dams.

Unlike human constructed impervious dams, some benefits of the naturally engineered beaver dam include creation of wetlands through natural water backup, supporting key habitat for other species, and slow filtering through the wetlands of environmental contaminants (Wild Neighbors, John Hadidian, Humane Society of the United States 2007).

Experience of the Martinez Beavers group in installing a water flow control device in Alhambra Creek awaits if ever needed in Sonoma Creek. Meanwhile, the Beaver, an herbivore eating mostly bark, twigs, roots, leaves and aquatic plants (Natl. Geographic), is busy as can be in Sonoma.

Thanks so much Susan for your beautiful nod to flow devices. Well timed! We appreciate your steady friendship more than we can say!

As if all that isn’t exciting enough, I heard yesterday from Bob Cellini that they are planning the mom memorial installation for Thursday at ten. The Contra Costa Times and Gazette are coming to photograph and Paul Craig’s lovely metal beavers will soon grace the sheetpile. We are thrilled about the development, and you’ll just have to go see it for yourself soon.

VP Cheryl Reynolds took a beaver field trip and tracked down the beavers she had seen a few years back on Sonoma Creek. She found the beavers in full swing with at least three lovely dams on display. The creek is stony with very little loose soil so the dams reflect the materials available and have little mud to speak of.

This is the beaver habitat I found 2 yrs ago and haven’t been out there much. We walked the creek today and found 3 dams. I couldn’t get through to where I thought the lodge was before. this first dam is where someone was supposedly takng it apart last year. It’s the most beautiful beaver habitat I have seen. It’s really weird though, the river is all rock. the dams are a combination of rock and branches, no mud.T

Watershed friend Brock Dolman says that they wash out every winter and the beavers have to rebuild in the spring and fall. They look pretty qualified at their year round jobs.

My understanding from the Sonoma Valley folks, is that they continually have
the beavers there, but it is just that the creek is too rowdy in the winter
and always blows out their dams and they move into bank burrows for the
winter and then rebuild each spring to fall small ones like in the photo.
Some think that some may also go down to the lower marshes of Sonoma Creek
and hang out for the rough winter flows as well? Likely, all is happening?
Just got to stop the vineyard depredation permits!!

It’s fun to see stones in the dams. I just watched a National Geographic movie of beavers and saw images of them lifting and carrying stones to place in the dam. They definitely don’t get the opportunity in Alhambra Creek. Still they are spoiled for mud, and it looks like the Sonoma beavers would love some in their efforts. Its nice to see how adaptable their instincts are, proving that beaver building relies on both inherent biology and available materials and practice.

Photos By: Cheryl Reynolds

If you discover a beaver field trip of your very own, we would love to see photos! Its important to keep track of known colonies so that we can monitor a city’s response. Lets just say most cities first reaction to a beaver dam isn’t ‘wow an opportunity to restore our creek!’. They sometimes need a little civic nudge in the right direction.

(For four years.)