Published: 2/29/2016
California and many western states rely on fresh water supplies from mountain snowpacks. By building dams, beavers support the complex ecosystem and restore the function of the mountain watershed. [1] With shrinking snowpacks due to rising global temperatures, the increased water supply storage from these dams help lessen the effects of climate change. To harness the beavers’ potential, the Methow Beaver Project, a program dedicated to the research of beaver impacts to the natural ecosystem, “relocates beavers to tributaries in the upper reaches of the Methow watershed” in Washington so that the beavers can build dams to increase water storage, according to an article in Methow Valley News. [1]
The beaver’s work is important because considerably lower snowpacks are predicted for the future. Beavers are considered the “animal kingdom’s version of the Army Corps of Engineers” because their dam structures allow for water storage from mountain streams.”[1] “The Beaver Project provides an example and inspiration for climate adaptation,” Biologist Kent Woodruff says in an interview with Methow Valley News, “As much as 65 million gallons of water is stored behind the beaver dams annually.” [1]
Nearly 240 beavers have been moved by the Methow Beaver Project and have created 176 ponds that store about 5 million gallons of water each. Woodruff estimates the average cost per beaver is $3,000 based on its water storage and habitat restoration abilities.[1]
Beavers could be part of a solution to snowpack melting caused by climate change. Woodruff states the Methow Beaver Project has already generated interest from national organizations to create similar programs across the United States and will hopefully assist with mitigating the impact of diminishing water supplies in the west. [1]
[1] McCreary, Ann. Local relocation project returns animals to natural habitat. Methow Valley News Online. http://methowvalleynews.com/2016/01/23/beavers-may-be-part-of-answer-to-climate-change/
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