Beavers may be a shiny new thing for the rest of us, but the Methow Project was doing this work long before we even started praising them. You can thank forest service visionary Kent Woodruff for that, although you don’t see his name talked about anymore you see his fingerprints all over.

Local conservation groups receive Ecology grant to restore streams, floodplains

Local conservation groups will use beavers, log structures, riparian plantings and other techniques to restore streamflow and connect floodplains in seven streams degraded by wildfire in the Methow and Okanogan watersheds.

The Methow Beaver Project and Methow Salmon Recovery Foundation received a $1.186 million grant from the state Department of Ecology for the work. The beaver project will manage and implement the three-year project with assistance from the salmon recovery foundation, public land managers, tribes and community members.

The project is a crucial component in recovering from large-scale wildfire and in building resilience to fire risk. It aims to increase water quantity and extend the availability of cold water. It will also expand the wet riparian zones that naturally slow wildfire, according to the application.

The project will use beaver dam analogues, structures that attract beavers and can spur them to construct dams. It will also erect log structures and repair existing dams, and relocate beavers where feasible.

It’s expected to restore approximately 23 kilometers of linear stream habitat and 915 acres of riparian habitat altogether.

Trust Methow to know full well that actual beavers are wayy better than pretend beavers,

By reestablishing natural processes, the project should increase streamflow and support downstream endangered salmon populations downstream. It should also reduce the risk of flooding and habitat degradation that can occur in stream channels affected by wildfire.

A healthy structure will enable streams to spread onto adjacent floodplains at high water. It will also use beaver complexes, wetlands and floodplains to store water and function as a sink during high-water events.

Natural ground filtration will keep water temperatures more stable, moderating both heat and cold extremes year-round, according to the application.