California thinking of using Beavers to help battle the drought | The Woodsman Hut | Forums

The area we live in (northernmost California) was originally settled first by Hudson Bay trappers getting beavers. The beavers were soon trapped out but remain in small numbers. (We saw a dead one while berry picking in a seasonal creek bed.) I suspect that the farmers who are converting their grazing pastures into alfalfa fields do not appreciate the beavers 're-arranging' the irrigation systems (ditch from main river on valley floor) and 'dispose' of the beavers when they are found. (hence the dead one we saw)

This 'plan' sounds like a bit of wishful thinking or perhaps a 'thesis' turned grant money?!? The valley suffered a 'deer warning' device - $1million spent to create a boondoggle warning set up of flashing lights to let (night) motorists know there were deer on the road. It never worked well for the deer, but seemed to be great at other things (weeds growing and moving before sensors, cars leaving/entering driveways, cats along road) triggering the flashing signs! Within a year it was all removed but the $1 million didn't get returned to the tax payers. 

And really how much peculation will such dams create? Since beavers live in low wet areas, I can't see the rice farmers of the central valley accepting beavers to 'co-habitate' in their crop lands, especially with the beavers having different ideas about where/how to dam water.

This probably sounds pretty strange to those of you who live in beaver territory (Maine for sure), but more important than the animals is the fact that California is a large part a desert! It only has been able to live and grow by way of transported water mainly from northern part of state (canals) or pipe lines (Hech Hechi, Owens Valley) that bring water to the San Francisco/LA. Beavers aren't going to help that much at all. And the little peculation that beavers could cause is not going to touch the drain of the deep aquifers that has tapped into the central valley area where beavers were I suspect a rare resident to begin with. (Pre Europeans - late 1600s)

And without rain - no creeks/rivers so beavers are a moot point .