Beavers reintroduced to CA watershed for first time in a century
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...
California Assembly Overwhelmingly Supports “Beaver Bill”
SACRAMENTO, CA—Yesterday, Assembly Bill (AB) 2196 by Assemblymember Damon Connolly (D-San Rafael) passed the State Assembly by a vote of 72-0. Sponsored by the Occidental Arts & Ecology Center, AB 2196 aims to ensure the longevity of the Beaver Restoration...
Fighting fire with beavers: How dam-building rodents are deployed to prevent megafires, restore scorched wildlands
Beaver wetlands provide a wildlife refuge from wildfire. Photo by Emily Fairfax. Stretches of river that had beaver dams fared better in three fearsome Colorado fires in 2020. People charged with repairing wildfire damage are taking heed. River segments hosting...
Experts Say Beavers Could Help Save California from Climate Change
“Beaver dams improve water quality and control water downstream, repair eroded channels, reconnect streams to their floodplains, and the ponds and flooded areas create habitat for many plants and animals,” DFW wrote in its May proposal. “It might be odd, but beavers are an untapped, creative climate-solving hero that helps prevent the loss of biodiversity facing California.”
New Mexico Magazine: The Gila Wilderness At 100
A study by the National Park Service demonstrated “that beavers and their associated dams play an important role in the formation, function, and persistence of riparian wetlands.” By creating more complex river flows, beavers produce healthier wetlands, which absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, increase biodiversity, and raise the water table, stabilizing threatened ecosystems.