Visiting natural beaver dams was such an awe-inspiring yet humbling experience. I’m still at a lost how such small creatures with little hands and feet can carry sticks as long as 5 feet and weave them so perfectly such that water trickles through the small gaps just enough to keep the flow and still pool water upstream. The water after passing through the dams were noticeably clearer as suspended dirt, clay, and sand drops out with the dams acting as a sieve. The river was refreshingly cool and numerous fish were seen swimming around. I also noted how well the dams are integrated into the surroundings with willow growing naturally between the twigs of the dam. Beavers really are the professionals.
We visited 3 natural beaver dams and evaluated beaver habitat at Salinas River in Atascadero, CA. The beavers are constantly ‘remodeling’ and updating their dams such that the waterways can look completely unrecognizable within a few months. The oldest dam we visited was build a few months ago but spanned over 20 feet wide and 3 feet high. The newest was only built 2 weeks ago according to Eli, our partner at San Luis Obispo Beaver Brigade. Seeing the motion sensors around the river—which we use remotely to monitor beaver activity for research—helped me appreciate the context of the video clips I had reviewed. Since beavers are most active at night and during twilight, we did not see any on this visit; however, we saw plenty of gnawed tree branches. Beavers’ teeth are built with iron-rich enamel, which gives them their orange-red color. Their teeth never stop growing, so beavers need to constantly chew on bark and branches to prevent them from growing too long. We also saw blue dragonflies and numerous birds. Everyone agreed that being surrounded by such a vibrant riparian ecosystem is deeply calming and energizing. It’s impossible to not smile and be in a good mood. We are all looking forward to returning again to see the changes these amazing nature engineers will make.
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