Alastair Bland’s fact-filled article on Water Deeply obviously struck a chord. It was picked up by Gizmodo and Take Part, along with other sites. It’s now appearing in the Daily Mail in the UK, which would be a pretty good run, but it gets even better and you’ll hear about that soon.
Despite recent rainfall and even flash floods, California’s four-year-long drought is predicted to continue. But ecologists believe beavers could play a part in ending one the most severe droughts on record. The industrious rodents could help slow the flow of water heading to the sea by building dams, to create extra reserves of water and benefit other struggling species, they claim.
They have hatched a controversial plan to repopulate central coastal parts of California with large beavers – Castor Canadensis – that once lived in large numbers.
Ooh! A plot! and my favorite kind, A beaver plot! I guess the article liked the spicy idea of beaver underground that took matters into their own -er- paws (as it were). I would chalk it up to fanciful English whimsy that produced the likes of Paddington Bear and Peter Rabbit if it weren’t for this article appearing this morning on WSAV channel 3 news in (brace yourselves) GEORGIA! (Our librarian friend BK and his wife must be doing a fantastic job preaching the beaver gospel out there!)
Experts say the industrious rodents could help slow the flow of water heading out to sea by building dams. This will create water reserves and help other species too.
Sounds easy right? Well, the plan is actually a controversial one.
Ecologists want to repopulate the central coastal parts of California with large beavers – Castor Canadensis – that once lived in large numbers. This is a group that caused problems with logging and fishing industries. So back in the 19th century, this large beaver was almost completely removed.
But some say it’s a chance the state needs to take.
Well it’s cheap and easy and people like that idea. And it doesn’t cost industry money or drain tax dollars, so I guess that makes it a little popular. Hey, maybe we should hit the almond growers up for a donation to the campaign. (Have you heard their desperate sponsor statements on KQED? “Almond growers use no more water than other trees and don’t blame us for the drought WAA!”) Something tells me they’d be VERY motivated to contribute to a bring back beaver movement.
To top it all off, I heard from the president of Trout Unlimited today in Coloma that the Conservation Chair of the El Dorado chapter put it up on their face book page and reached about 500 people. They both are shaking their heads and saying there’s obviously a real interest in this topic.
I’m not holding my breath. Here in Marmeanest we were busily ripping out more creek on the weekend, in the little soil patch by Starbucks where our original mom did her swan song. Supposedly they had a fish and game warden to pull out turtles, but I’ll believe that when I see the photos. Lory took this yesterday.
How nice to sit beside the creek with your morning latte and watch it be destroyed. At least that big pile of silt they’re removing can’t be blamed on the beavers, since it is no where near where they dammed or denned.
To further remind me that Marmeenest definitely is no Napatopia, I receiver an email out of the blue yesterday from someone I’d never met or heard of asking me how to save the Napa beavers, because they were building a dam right next to a hotel.
I tried to be very enthusiastic about her support and introduce her to the local players earnestly. But honestly what I wanted to say was,
“Trust me. They’re the safest beavers on the planet.”
