If there’s one species that symbolizes riparian (wet) habitats in the West, beavers have a good case for taking the title.

Consider their charisma. They’ve got orange teeth. They slap their oversized tails—like the sound of a gunshot—to warn others away. They spend days in frenzied industry, packing mud and dragging branches around to build dams. They even live together in small families in these cozy constructions.

But beavers have more than their uniqueness going for them. The work they do is vital for stream health, especially in the West, where water is such a precious resource. With their host of benefits to humans and wildlife alike, we’re proud to be part of bringing these buck-toothed stream champions back to the West.

Reintroducing beavers to Western streams

Last month, Sageland Collaborative team members Rose Smith (Stream Ecologist) and Sarah Woo dbury (Communications Director) joined our partners at Utah Division of Wildlife Resources to release beavers on a site where we had previously done stream restoration work.

Preparing for the release

Beavers were held in quarantine to give them time to recover from any illnesses they might have had and avoid spreading them to a new area. Then, they were transported from the site to a remote Utah location.

The group carefully carried the beavers in cages down a steep embankment to the site, which contained restoration structures called beaver dam analogues (BDAs) from previous restoration work. They set the cages partially in the creek to keep the beavers cool while the team spruced up the BDAs.

“For the beavers to be successful in hiding from predators, they needed a space deep enough for them to hide in the center of each pond created by a BDA,” Rose says. “We worked hard to dig mud from the center of the ponds before releasing the beavers.”

“On other sites where streams are too incised, or deeply cut, it can be difficult for beavers to reestablish because the water is too shallow to create these safe havens.”

In addition to digging out predator escapes, the team also added more materials to the dams, patched up holes, and otherwise acted much as beavers would, scurrying about to upkeep their hard work.

Releasing the beavers

When it was time to release the beavers, the team arranged themselves in a semi-circle around the cages and said their farewells.

“It was amazing to see them close up, observing the intricate scaling on their tails and their dexterous fingers and toes,” Rose says. “They had an earthy, sweet smell.”

The beavers took their time crawling out of the cages. Once out, they immediately started making their way downstream—away from the freshly built-up BDA. (Luckily, there were more BDAs built downstream!) A juvenile followed its mother, waddling into the cool water and keeping an eye on the team.

The team went up to the ridgeline to watch them move downstream until they disappeared into the sage and willows.

After officially seeing them off, the group took a few minutes to install a camera trap upstream to see if beavers were in the area. Some of the team smelled castor oil (what beavers smell like), so they might have been nearby.

Checking on results

The team traveled up another drainage where beavers had been released last year. “This drainage had more large trees, and was less choked out by willow than the release point,” says Rose. “They have truly established there, with several good sized pools, large downed trees, complex dams, and a lodge. We also saw cougar prints and a black bear watching us from the ridgeline—reminders of both why this safe habitat is so crucial for beavers and the revitalizing effect beavers have on the landscape.”

Why is this important?

Beavers boast a slew of incredible benefits for other species—including humans. Beaver benefits are well-documented by scientists and include:

Creating habitat for both water- and land-based species, such as fish, birds, and big game
Creating natural fire breaks on the land by increasing the amount of wet area along stream corridors
Connecting aquatic habitats across the landscape, which keeps wildlife and ecosystems healthy
Reducing flooding, meaning less property and habitat damage during flood events
Slowing runoff, which supports more dependable and healthy water sources for all who depend on them, including humans
Holding carbon, which is crucial to help combat the causes of climate change
Keeping erosion under control, which supports healthy landscapes for humans and wildlife alike

Considered a keystone species for stream and riparian habitats, it’s difficult to overstate the value of beavers to the well-being of these ecosystems. With water being central to life on Earth, healthy beaver populations and resilient riparian systems benefit humans, wild communities, and ecosystems at large.

A difficult history

Despite their impressive list of positive impacts, beavers unfortunately haven’t had an easy time in the West. They’ve been removed from many Western streams throughout history, sometimes due to overuse for their fur and sometimes due to widespread misunderstanding of their impact on landscapes.

Have you ever seen a stream that doesn’t curve, looks “too clean” and nearly empty of life, and doesn’t have much variety in its surrounding habitats? You may have seen a stream affected by beaver loss.

The absence of beavers in ecosystems has contributed to streams that are unable to carry out some crucial functions or remain resilient in the face of things like climate change or flood events. When the overall aridity of the West is considered, decreases in riparian health become especially concerning.

Creating a brighter future

To combat these issues, Sageland Collaborative began restoration work on streams through our Stream & Riparian Restoration Program in 2018. This project is one of our fastest-growing today. In an effort to heal degraded Western streams, staff and volunteers on this project visit sites across Utah to do an important activity: mimic beavers.

What does this mean? We build low-tech, inexpensive structures in streams called beaver dam analogues (BDAs). These structures are made of natural materials, drawing from the beaver approach to create healthier wet habitats. These structures hold sediment, allowing water levels to slowly rise. Streams begin to take on a more natural shape. As they snake across the landscape, they can create varied habitats like wetlands, backwaters, and oxbows, supporting more forms of life.

Once the habitat is well enough, beavers may be introduced into the area to continue the healing work. Cascading positive effects will eventually improve watershed health and the resilience of human and wildlife communities nearby.

We envision a future of vibrant streams, lands teeming with wildlife, and thriving human communities. This hope is central to the work we do. Thank you volunteers, donors, and beavers alike for your important role!

How to support this work

This important work is only possible because of your support. To ensure this and other conservation work is successful into the future, please consider donating.

Donate

You can also volunteer for our stream program to be a part of physically healing Western habitats.

Thank you for your support!

Photos and video by Sarah Woodbury (unless otherwise noted)

Releasing Beavers to Heal a Degraded Western Stream