Here in Canada, beavers are often not thought of in a kind light. Yes, tourist shops sell beaver merchandise, and one of our coins even has a beaver on it, but among locals, they do not have the best reputation.
Beavers to many are considered a pest. They clog storm drains, cut down forests, and flood farmland.
To make them seem even more frightening, sometimes their work on building dams goes for generations. The worlds biggest beaver dam (in Wood Buffalo National Park, Alberta, Canada) is so large, it can even be seen from space.
However, they don’t really deserve the bad reputation they are getting. Here are just some of the reasons why to love beavers.
1. They help local wildlife
When a beaver builds a dam, it does restrict the flow of water, but it does not stop the flow completely. This creates havens for fish and other wildlife.
“The study found that in the pools created by beaver dams there were 37 percent more fish than in comparable stretches of the river where there were no dams.” | BBC from this article
2. They can help with flooding
The common perception is that beavers cause flooding, and in a way, that is true. They create a dam, and that dam waterlogs habitats on a small scale. However, on a larger scale, those dams can help slow the flow of water in a network of channels, which reduces the chance of damage for people living down stream during floods.
The dams have slowed the flow of floodwater through the village, reducing “peak flows” during flood events. | The Guardian
3. They can help with droughts
Thanks to the holding of water, they can create reserves of water that can last even after every other source in the area goes dry. As well as that, slowing down the water gives the surrounding soil a better chance at absorbing the water.
“Beaver can help lessen the effects of drought because they cause water to be stored on the surface and absorbed into the sub-surface of the land due to the impoundment of water by their dams. This can increase stream flow during drought periods and make ecosystems less vulnerable during dry periods." | Parks Canada
4. They improve water quality
Thanks to "beaver fever," it is commonly thought that beavers dirty the water and make it undrinkable. Beaver fever is a parasitic infection of the digestive system that you can get from drinking contaminated water, eating raw meat, or even changing diapers.
So, no, it is not only restricted to beavers, but it ended up being called that here after some hikers made the poor decision of drinking from a contaminated stream in Banff National Park(Alberta, Canada).
Yes, drinking untreated stream water is never a good idea, but no, beavers are not all to blame for making water less drinkable. In fact, they help remove some harmful pollutants.
“Beaver dams and pools reduce soil erosion and retain sediment, which absorb and filter pollutants such as heavy metals, pesticides, and fertilizers. This improves the quality of water downstream used by humans and other species.” | Parks Canada
5. They help limit the impacts of forest fires
When a beaver makes a dam, it is not just the pool that sees the benefit, but also all the earth around it. While the water does trickle down stream, it also enters the earth in an underground network, moistening the area. This creates a lush green environment that is more protected from fires.
When a fire ignites, that green vegetation near the beaver ponds will be more difficult to burn than other nearby dry vegetation. The fire will often take the path of least resistance and burn through the dry vegetation away from beaver ponds instead of smoldering through the wet vegetation near beaver ponds. | Emily Fairfax, PH.D
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