A family of the largest rodents in North America were released in a California watershed “for the first time in over a century,” officials said. Beavers were once staples of the watershed on the Tule River Indian Reservation, and they were featured in pictographs dating back about 500 to 1,000 years, tribe members and state officials said.
As part of CDFW’s Beaver Restoration Program, beavers are back at work on the Tule River Indian Reservation. The beavers released on the Tule River watershed are expected to build dams that slow the flow of water and in turn create drought and wildfire resilience. pic.twitter.com/zcBbfzbeUc
— California Department of Fish and Wildlife (@CaliforniaDFW) June 25, 2024
The first release on June 12 included three kits, three adults and one subadult, followed by two more beavers released June 17, officials said. The animals can offer significant ecological benefits.
The beavers’ dams will improve water retention on the land by slowing down the flow of the river, which provides the vast majority of the tribe’s drinking water, officials say.