Re-introducing Beavers to prevent flooding

For the moment, it seems nothing more than an idea being tossed around in England in the wake of recent heavy flooding of the Thames River, but perhaps it's worth exploring.

You might assume beavers cause floods. They build dams to create waterlogged habitats. But some supporters say they can actually prevent flooding by keeping more water in uplands, away from people. "Beavers build dams and they complicate and slow down water," Louise Ramsay, from the Scottish Wild Beaver Group, told the BBC. "They braid the streams [creating a network of small channels] and they will block ditches."

There is still flooding but the ideal is for it to happen upstream in upland areas where less harm will be done. "You'll have lots of little pools. You've got the water coming more slowly down from the uplands into the low ground."

Link

wow!!... they actually have a "Scottish wild beaver society"?....those highlanders do know how to party. I have known a few wild beavers in my time, but to create an organization for the preservation of them??....

reply to post by jimmyx


being Canadian one thing I know is beavers like to be wet...
and it takes some serious wood to keep them happy...


beaver dames are great!

all kidding aside, beaver dams are great ecological zones, and life thrives in them

also sometimes, trout live in them...

I like fishing in beaver dams. The speckies get pretty big. I don't understand why people don't like beavers, the dams are natural reserves and buffers of waters.

reply to post by rickymouse

hi RM hows tricks?
I see we are on the same page lol

IMO, the problem here is that when a beaver builds it's dams, it causes flowing streams to flood and create a pond. The beavers cause local flooding, therefore it does the opposite of preventing flooding.

I found out how bad it can get when the beavers dammed up the culvert up stream, by a major road and flooded the people that lived near it. When they unplugged that stream, the entire flood plain was over the top. My road was a prime trout stream for a few days after that. Great opportunity to see what kind of critters lived in the stream and swamps, but not cool flooding down the road and across your driveway.

ETA: They should concentrate on creating more wetlands to absorb the flood waters and release them slowly.

There's a reason beaver's are Canadian's national animal.. because they're awesome!!

They are the only animal to create a structure, other then humans, that is visible from space!!! BOOSH!

A beaver dam in Canada's Wood Buffalo National Park spans about 2,800 feet.

- Several generations of beavers have worked on the dam since the mid-1970s and it's still growing.

Largest beaver dam seen from space.

..and dont worry England, you don't have even close to enough trees or space for beavers to do that there.

You can have mine. I have no less than five beaver ponds on my farm. You can't get rid of these pests. They eat every piece of vegetation in sight, and cut valuable trees down, in less than 12 hours. I had two dachshunds several years ago and if you know those little rascals, they are not afraid of anything. both were killed by beavers.

I have broke their dams and the dams would be replaced overnight. Yep, you can have 'em, come get 'em!

reply to post by NightFlight

Beavers on your property also attract their natural predators which can cause you even more animal problems. The poor little rodents are favorite food items for creatures such as coyotes, bears, bobcats, wolves and mountain lions

www.aaanimalcontrol.com...
If you can put up with the cure...

reply to post by NightFlight


Ofcourse they rebuild. It is their home.

You know you can wrap chicken wire around the trees, and then the beavers wont chew em down.
That's what they do in Fishcreek park, near where I grew up.

The earth spends millions of years finding a balance and we come along and destroy what balance there was and wonder why we are having the problems we are having.