Photo by Ron Bruno
Ever since the beavers appeared in Alhambra Creek in Martinez, we have heard so many say that beavers cause flooding. Well, today an article appeared in the BBC News Magazine Monitor asking the question, “Do beavers prevent flooding?”
After the latest flooding across southern England, there seems to be calls for beavers to be reintroduced. Therefore, there are those that are looking into the benefits of having beavers in their area.
Derek Gow, a farmer and ecologist in Devon, was quoted in the article,
Beavers are “nature’s water manager”, says Derek Gow, a farmer and ecologist in Devon who has created his own wetland enclosure with about 25 of the creatures. Studies suggest that a wetland area can hold up to 40 times as much water when beavers are present, he says. “They reinstall the sponges” to the landscape, he argues. Instead of water cascading down to the river valleys, it is only gradually released.
The article goes on to state that modern land management has exacerbated flood risk by cutting down trees and straightening rivers and also that the lack of beavers is another element that causes flooding.
Louise Ramsay, from the Scottish Wild Beaver Group, told the BBC, that beavers can actually prevent flooding when they build their dams, they complicate and slow down water.
I found this to be a very interesting article and as there are more reintroductions and studies done about the value of beavers preventing flooding, I think the answer to the question, “Do Beaver Prevent Flooding?” will definitely be YES.
If you would like to read more of this article you can go to the following website,
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-magazine-monitor-26122318
