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Introduction
Introduction
Beavers are mostly nocturnal but also crepuscular meaning that they work at twilight too.
9:46 minute video about beavers protecting and improving the environments they live in. How beavers help waterways to improve drought resilience. They rebuild wetland, riparian borders, farm land, helping to boost biodiversity while protecting human communities.
Beavers as Environmental Engineers
Beavers as Environmental Engineers
Beavers not only prevent flooding, and restore river ecosystems, but they create new spawning ground for fish species such as salmon.
Around 80% of North American species rely on the types of habitat that beavers create.
Conceptual Model Illustrating How Beaver Dams Affect the Development of Incised Streams
Beaver Dam Diagrams This link also offers diagrams of beaver baffles and other beaver-related info.
Biodiversity Boosters
Biodiversity Boosters
Beaver ponds are known to dramatically increase biodiversity and population numbers for a wide variety of species. These include:
"In a study carried out at the University of Helsinki, beaver patches were found to host nearly twice the number of mammal species compared to forest pond patches not engineered by beavers. Even the number of individual mammals was more than 10% higher in beaver sites." - University of Helsinki: Moose Otters and Many Small Predators Benefit Beaver Activity
Beavers Without Borders This 16:19 minute documentary explores beavers after reintroductions to England, Bavaria, and Scotland.
70% of the world's salmon spawn in Norway, and of their top 10 salmon rivers, 7 have beavers, and 6 are at capacity for beavers. This indicates that beavers improve fish stock numbers, and their presence will continue to help reverse the mass extinction of fish currently happening due to human activities.
Beavers vs Fire
Beavers vs Fire
When very similar streams were compared with and without beavers. The landscapes without beavers have been found to burn 3 times more intensely than the same kinds of areas with beavers and their dams.
After fire raged through one California landscape, one waterway, tucked between hills, remained basically untouched by the flames that charred the surrounding hills.
Now beavers are removed from areas where they have been considered a nuisance and are being returned to landscapes where they can replenish waterways and groundwater.
Beavers vs Drought
Beavers vs Drought
Landscapes with beavers tend to be much greener as they create underground water storage. When droughts hit, landscapes with sever droughts can stay green and healthy for at least 3 years compared to waterways without these amazing creatures.
Indicator Species
Indicator Species
Beaver presence and numbers can help indicate the health of the biomes where they are found. Their power as fire deterrents can also indicate safer places to build or replant trees.
Threats to Beaver
Threats to Beaver
Hunting & Poaching
Hunting & Poaching
Beavers were almost hunted to extinction for fur hats and other consumer product. In some places it is illegal to relocate beavers, but killing is still legal.
Persecution
Persecution
Beavers are still persecuted by farmers and land owners for flooding and tree damage.
Loss of Habitat
Loss of Habitat
Most land use is for livestock, some is for crop farming, followed by mining, fossil fuel extraction, roads, and urban buildup.
Calls to Action
Calls to Action
Levels 1-3 Action
Levels 1-3 Action
Solving Problems with Beavers Topics include non-lethal beaver management, protecting trees, use of baffles and so on.
Building beaver analog dams can help make newly-arrived beavers feel comfortable, and even give them a head start as they sometime use these structures as foundations for their own building projects.
There should be an organization or system to help connect people who need beaver removal with communities who desperately need beaver services. The receiving community should receive education and resources to assure successful translocation including protecting certain trees to help mitigate damage to wanted trees. There are some programs that help rehome beavers, and they have been listed further down the page under "Beaver Relocation Programs"
Level 3-4 Action
Level 3-4 Action
If your area has laws against rehoming beavers, but allows their slaughter, work with your local conservation or beaver organization and work with them to help create better laws.
Contact Your Representative to let them know why current laws are a problem, and what would be a better alternative.
How to Help Beavers
How to Help Beavers
Beaver Dam Analogs (BDA) & Post-Assisted Log Structures (PALS)
Beaver Dam Analogs (BDA) & Post-Assisted Log Structures (PALS)
"A Beaver Dam Analog (BDA) is a man-made structure designed to mimic the form and function of a natural beaver dam. BDAs can also be used to increase the probability of successful beaver translocation by creating immediate deep water habitat that reduces the risk of predation. In general, the design and installation of BDA complexes is a simple, cost-effective, non-intrusive approach to stream restoration that can influence a suite of hydraulic, geomorphic and hydrologic processes in order to achieve a range of common restoration goals."
Human-built Beaver Dam Analogs can be installed to help jump-start a new habitat. These structures provide the same function of slowing down waterways, creating habitats for fish to spawn in, and creating lush wet landscapes where droughts have been cutting back on biodiversity. Some of them even attract beavers who sometimes take over the maintenance and improvement process.
Climate Change Adaptation Through Beaver Mimicry (4:20 minute video) Jeff Dougherty builds a beaver dam analog alone, talking about how the Native Americans historically used these techniques to store water for late summer. Later in the video are demonstrations for design and techniques used by a small group of people with simple tools.
Text from the video above: "Jeff is demonstrating the value of beaver mimicry and inspiring the state of Montana, federal, and private entities to incorporate this approach into their riparian restoration efforts."
"With the help of WCS, beaver mimicry has become a widely utilized tool for restoring watersheds, helping ecosystems adapt to the effects of climate change across the arid Rocky Mountain West."
Education & Training Opportunities
Education & Training Opportunities
Beaver Institute: Training Beaver Wetland Professionals "The Beaver Institute is proud to offer the first and only professional, non-lethal beaver management course. The online classes and field work are personally mentored by Beaver Institute President, Mike Callahan and other Beaver Institute instructors. All students learn the same successful, innovative beaver management techniques that he has successfully used since 1998 to resolve over 2,000 beaver-human conflicts, as well as Process-Based Restoration techniques to restore streams and beaver wetlands. Graduates are certified as Beaver Wetland Professionals and utilize their knowledge in a variety of settings."
Safety & Construction Resources
Safety & Construction Resources
Anabranch Solutions Videos for Volunteers "Building BDAs and PALS are part of a Low-Tech Process-Based Restoration (LTPBR) technique that doesn't require extensive training or heavy equipment and therefore can be done by a diverse workforce. However, there are inherent risks in working outdoors in uneven terrain, with sharp tools, large woody materials, and a variety of equipment. These videos go over some of the safety issues to be aware of while participating in Low-Tech Process-Based Restoration. After you have watched the videos, please take the short safety quiz below and then sign the volunteer waiver to become an Anabranch Solutions LTPBR volunteer."
Idaho Beaver Restoration Assessment Tool: Building Realistic Expectations for Partnering with Beaver in Conservation and Restoration (PDF) Includes maps and data for planning in Idaho.
Legally Required Surveys & Land Preparation for Beavers
Legally Required Surveys & Land Preparation for Beavers
10:17 minute video.
This video shows some of the steps Mossy Earth had to go through to pick out degraded land, and then ensure their damming and reforestation project wouldn't negatively impact vulnerable Scottish species such as otters and fresh water clams.
Your own region may have different prerequisites.
Low-Tech Process-Based Restoration of Riverscapes
Low-Tech Process-Based Restoration of Riverscapes
The resources in this section are from the UtahState University Restoration Consortium. They include PDFs and helpful images. Full PDFs are available for free at ResearchGate, but ResearchGate requires a free account.
Chapter 3: Planning for Low-Tech Process-Based Restoration "The third chapter covers planning for low tech process-based restoration. We illustrate the process with the NRCS Conservation Planning Process, and show what aspects are distinctive to low-tech restoration. Specifically, the following topics are covered:
Where to Plan?
Phase 1: Collection & Analysis
Phase 2: Decision Support & Design
Phase 3: Application & Evaluation
The Low-Tech Extension of Conservation Planning Process
Chapter 3 also has appendices on:
Appendix 3A: Parallels Between Different Planning Frameworks for Restoration
Appendix 3B: Mapping Synthesis of Problems & Opportnities Problems & Opportunities
Appendix 3C: Mapping Valley Bottom for Assessing Space
Appendix 3D: Assessing Risk to Property, Infrastructure, and Public Safety
Appendix 3E: Assessing Riparian Conditions to support Wood accumulation
Appendix 3F: Assessing Potential for Beaver Dam Activity
Appendix 3G: Structure Level Adaptive Management"
Chapter 4: Mimicking and Promoting Wood Accumulation and Beaver Dam Activity with Post-Assisted Log Structures and Beaver Dam Analogues "The fourth chapter is meant to be the authoritative reference on two low-tech restoration techniques, which are lacking guidelines in the literature: post-assisted log structures (PALS) & beaver dam analogues (BDAs). The chapter focuses on helping readers understand what PALS & BDAs are, how they are used in low-tech restoration design, and a specific focus on the processes intially mimicked, later promoted, and that eventually become self-sustatining; namely wood accumulation and beaver dam activity.
Chapter 4 also has appendices on:
Appendix A. Freqently Asked Questions About PALS and BDAs
Appendix B: Low-Tech Process-Based Restoration Semantics
Appendix C: Recent History of Beaver Dam Analogues
Appendix D: Typical Schematics and General Suggestions for Placement and Construction of PALS
Appendix E: Typical Schematics and General Suggestions for Placement and Construction of BDAs"
Chapter 5: Designing Low-Tech Restoration Projects "The fifth chapter covers the low-tech process-based restoration design processl. This process is generic to desiging any type of low-tech process-based restoration treatment (not just PALS & BDAs). Speifically, the following topics are covered:
Key Principles for Designing Low-Tech Restoration Projects
Getting Started – Design and Required Information
A Low-Tech Design Plan
Design of a Complex
Considerations for Common Complex Objectives
The Importance of Time and Flow Conditions
Chapter 5 also has an appendices on:
Appendix A: The Topographic Paradox"
Chapter 6: Low-Tech Restoration Project Implementation "The sixth chapter is targeted at practitioners responsible for implementing low-tech process-based restoration projects. We focus on the three primary components of implementation and cover the following topics:
Consultation and Permitting
Construction
Building Materials for Low-Tech Structures
Tools & Equipment for Building Low-Tech Structures
General Construction Guidance
Evaluation
Chapter 6 also has appendices on:
Appendix A: Post Driver Information
Appendix B: Wood Replenishment with Griphoists"
Additional Low-Tech Process-Based Restoration Resources
References and Training Resources
Tools & Protocols
Examples & Community
Beaver Relocation Programs
Beaver Relocation Programs
North America
North America
USA
Washington
Beaver Relocation in Washington This page has info about how to get a beaver removed from your property, have a beaver moved to your property including property evaluation information to make sure the place is suitable, necessary permits, and even how to become a beaver relocator.
Tools & Resources
Tools & Resources
Eco-System Restoration & Assessment Tools
Eco-System Restoration & Assessment Tools
BRAT(Beaver Restoration Assessment Tool) "is useful for condition assessment as it pertains to developing expectations for beaver dam building. Specifically, BRAT provides one way for network-scale assessment of the question of Can (or could via restoration) the riverscape support beaver dam activity?"
RCAT(Riparian Condition Assessment Tool) "is helpful for assessing riparian conditions, the causes of departure from historic conditions and looking at recovery potential within the valley bottom. Specifically, RCAT provides one way for network-scale assessment of the question Are the woody resources present or could they be (via restoration) to support and sustain process of wood accumulation?"
Humane Methods to Resolve Human/Beaver Conflict
Humane Methods to Resolve Human/Beaver Conflict
Solving Problems with Beavers Topics include non-lethal beaver management, protecting trees, use of baffles and so on.
Living With Beavers Talks about benefits of beavers and beaver facts, then discusses conflict solutions.
Reintroduction Feasibility Studies
Reintroduction Feasibility Studies
The feasibility and acceptability of reintroducing the European beaver to England (NECR002) "This report was commissioned jointly by Natural England and the People’s Trust for Endangered Species to help develop views on the feasibility and desirability of beaver reintroductions in England, and to provide information on what contribution beavers might make to national habitat restoration targets. The findings in the report should also help Natural England prepare itself for making a decision if it receives an application to release beavers into the wild in England.
The views in the report are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of Natural England. At the time of publication, Natural England’s Board has not considered its position on beaver reintroductions."
Adoption Programs
Adoption Programs
North America
North America
Canada
Alberta Institute for Wildlife Conservation (AIWC) "This North American beaver was rescued after his dam was washed away due to high water levels on the Red Deer River. There was no sign of parents or other siblings, so he was brought to AIWC for care. Although he is growling daily and is bright and alert, we have a long road ahead of us, and he will likely remain in care at AIWC for quite some time. In the wild, young beavers do not disperse from their parents for 2-3 years so this little one will be in our care until spring 2024. Until then, he will be provided with a natural environment and all the care he needs to grow into a healthy and strong beaver before returning to the wild. Thank you for helping to support his care!"
Organizations
Organizations
Maps
Maps
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