Did you ever have one of those days when it seems like 17 different threads of fruitless inquiry suddenly come together in one perfect macrame knot? I’ve been having them a lot lately. Today I attended the CCWF meeting to hear fellow subcommittee member Mitch Avalon talk about the hydrology issues for the beavers. I’m so enormously embarrassed that I never attended one of these meetings before; it was easily the most ecologically knowledgeable and committed group of people I’ve ever sat with. The introductions and announcements at the beginning alone were literally like a who’s who of conservation.
There was an update on the bioassessment project, which is currently examining twelve different waterways. Alhambra Creek was part of this in 2005 and that report can be reviewed here. These findings are important to our beavers because they look at BMI in different areas of the watershed. BMI stands for Benthic Macroinveribrates which is the scientific name for a cluster of little bugs that can be used to indicate the health of a creek. Like everything else they impact, beavers affect BMI, and newer research suggests that their impact is dependent on the health of the pre-existing creek. Areas with poor BMI are more significantly helped by beavers, while more robust sections are minimally impacted. The 2005 sampling indicated that our creek was less healthy the farther down the watershed you looked. This means that our beavers are in the ideal spot to cause greatest benefit.
That’s just one of the exciting discussions prompted at today’s meeting. Tim Tucker gave inspiring update on the water-treating parking lot sponsored by the ESA. He was genuinely touched by the students’ effort and enthusiasm and described the project as the best thing he’s been involved with in 25 years. There was also welcome interest in our beavers from the award winning Dow Wetlands , continued support from the Urban Creeks Council, a call for entries in this years creek and watershed calendar, an invitation to talk beavers with the Master Gardeners and a nice connection with the California Department of Fish & Game. The fieldtrip prompted a healthy discussion about beaver effect on salmonids and caught a bevy of baby ducks demonstrating the trickle-down ecology of our beavers. Honestly, after so many suspicious receptions by so many beaver-averse faces this was like Valhalla.
It was one of a handful of moments the beavers have given me where I understood with perfect certainty that I was surrounded by compassionate, intelligent and committed stewards of our waterways, and that our beavers could be welcome among them. It was like falling asleep in the back seat and knowing mom and dad were driving you home safely.
In honor of the very good mood the meeting left me in, let’s celebrate the polar bear’s recognition as a protected species with this feel good video. Look for Worth A Dam tomorrow at the farmer’s market!
[youtube:http://youtube.com/watch?v=-yxy5epalEU]
