One of the nice things about my unofficial unpaid beaver publicist job is that things drop sometimes into my mailbox that I wasn’t expecting. Like yesterday when a preview copy of Sarah Koenisberg’s documentary short on beaver reintroduction in three states arrived. It was sent with a note from a student of Mary Obrien who said Mary wanted me to have it because of all the “Transformative work” I do and to let them know if we wanted more copies.

Transformative? Me? You mean like a beaver?

It was gripping and informative, under 15 minutes long, starting with a segment on Mary and beaver reintroduction in Escalante, then a conversation with Michael Pollock about beaver reintroduction in Bridge Creek Oregon, and then Kent Woodruff and the Methow in Washington.  There were lots of other voices I didn’t know before, basically saying the similar wonderful things. These animals can be our allies. Let them do their jobs and work as partners in the important job of saving water and restoring streams.

I wish I could share it but they won’t be releasing the online version for another 2 weeks. I promise to put it up just as soon as I can. For now I’ll just tell you the Very Best Part:

I watched the credits all the way to the end of course and guess who paid for it?  The Grand Canyon Land Trust (of course) AND Trout Unlimited.

Now will someone please tell Georgia?

TALKING TROUT: Beavers – the good and bad

Sometimes beaver dams can be detrimental to fish habitat. Low elevation trout streams such as all the trout streams in Floyd County warm quickly in summer. When the water temperature gets too warm in a trout stream the Georgia Department of Natural Resources will discontinue stocking trout until the water cools, which is usually late in the fall. The DNR rarely stocks streams in the fall or winter so it is usually the following spring before the creek will get a fresh batch of trout for the anglers to catch.

 One such creek that has a beaver dam that warms the trout stream is Johns Creek. The Coosa Valley Chapter has spent thousnds of man hours making improvements at Johns Creek. We have improved camping areas, protected stream banks and in addition to installing trout stocking tubes we have worked regularly to improve trout habitat in the stream. Just this weekend we worked with the U.S. Forest Service placing “large woody debris” in the stream to improve trout shelter and increase the macro-invertebrate (insect food that trout eat) habitat. We also did temperature monitoring at several locations at the stream. This temperature monitoring has been on-going for several years now and will continue for several more.

 A major portion of Johns Creek originates from a series of springs at the Pocket Campground. There are several beaver ponds downstream of the campground. I have checked the temperature above and below the beaver ponds twice this year and the water upstream from the ponds the temperature has been 58 degrees both times. In August the afternoon air temperature was 85 degrees and the water below the dams was 69. Just yesterday, a cool day, the water below the beaver dams was 68.

 Any temperature above 70 or so becomes closer to the critical level of trout tolerance. We need to keep a record of stream temperature levels if we want to keep a healthy population in the creek.