Beaverpalooza 2015

The WATER Institute Beaver Campaign Hits The Road!

In late February and early March, Kate Lundquist and Brock Dolman of the WATER Institute made great headway in forwarding their Bring Back the Beaver Campaign through a series of strategic meetings, workshops and conferences in northern California and Oregon. Joined by Swift Water Design’s non-lethal beaver management specialist Kevin Swift, Brock and Kate were able to further our collaboration with key partners in our effort to steward beaver for their benefits in California.

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Kate, Brock and Kevin tour prime beaver habitat in Ahjumawi State Park

We participated in the Restoring Beaver to Restore Rivers workshop in Weed, California. This interactive workshop was conducted to solicit input from land owners/managers, restoration funders, reviewers, and practitioners actively involved in beaver restoration and management. The culmination of this workshop is a Beaver Restoration Guidebook that is currently in development. The WATER Institute has been enlisted to be a peer reviewer of this document and looks forward to using it to support agencies and landowners working to restore beaver in California.

Solutions for drought, including beaver restoration, was the focus of the presentation the WATER Institute gave to a sold out audience in the Fall River Valley. Renowned for its world class trout fishing, even this water-rich area is struggling to maintain water quality and quantity. The WATER Institute toured the river and met with local water officials and conservationists to discuss options for water conservation and the role beaver could play in their watershed.

Brock photographing a beaver lodge near a restoration project on Bear Creek
Brock photographs a beaver lodge near a restoration project on Bear Creek

On our way north we toured Squaw Creek, a sub-tributary of the McCloud River, to assess beaver presence/absence and found some nice dams and evidence of fresh chews on the surrounding willow.

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Kevin Swift stands on a 4 foot high beaver dam on Squaw Creek
Fresh beaver chewed willow on Squaw Creek
Fresh beaver chewed willow on Squaw Creek

Brock and Kate both gave presentations to the 200 attendees at the biennial State of the Beaver Conference in Canyonville, Oregon. This conference is the premiere gathering of  beaver advocates and scientists working to promote the benefits of beaver across North America and Europe. During the conference we met with our partners from other states to discuss our strategy to change beaver management policy in California and forged new relationships with those who have had success in their respective states.

Brock gives presentation on beaver and the effects of global climate change
Brock gives a presentation on beaver and the effects of global climate change
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Brock and Kate pose with Beatrice the BLM beaver
Thanks to OAEC’s Vanessa Carter and Kevin Swift for making our new beaver hats and stickers a reality…they were a hit!

If you met us at one of these events:

 

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