One unique animal with a large task in the health of our local creek and river systems. Along the Central Coast and the state, beavers have become a vital source of assistance in protecting against some of California’s biggest natural threats.
Beavers have been busy guarding our landscape from drought, wildfires and even flooding, Atascadero resident Ann Colby has come to appreciate the furry creatures and their contribution to local ecosystems.
“You see how the water starts to stay in an area and how the greenery increases and wildlife increases," Colby said. "It's just a fascinating thing to watch the the growth of it.”
Audrey Taub with the SLO Beaver Brigade invited KSBY to see the work that beavers do right on the Salinas River, showing how they thrive in riparian areas and ponds created due to the dams formed by the local beaver population.
Thanks to their dams they help control and disperse the flow of water, Taub says the rodents create resilient environments that can ward off the spread of wildfires, decrease drought and in light of recent storms, manage flooding.
A strong resource for the SLO Beaver Brigade is Dr. Emily Fairfax with the University of Minnesota who in an academic article published in 2020 found that "wetland habitat is very limited and beavers can create and maintain wetland habitat that persists through flood, drought, and, as we have shown in this study, fire."
Though they are nocturnal creatures, evidence of their dams are on full display in the Salinas River, creating complex systems to help them get around.
“They build the dams to hold the water and the landscape spread it out so that they can get to their food, the trees and the plants.”
Having existed since 2020, the SLO Beaver Brigade has been providing tours, education and restoration of the county’s beaver habitats. For Colby, she now is one of the main volunteers who helps patrol and monitor the dam's in the Salinas River to insure their safety.
“The main thing is to really have a hands off attitude, to leave them the space to do what they do best and to realize it's contributing to the lifestyle for all of us," Colby said.
According to Taub, beavers can be found up and down the Salinas River and even further south in San Luis Obispo County near Arroyo Grande and Oceano. They are considered to be a keystone species by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.
The SLO Beaver Brigade is holding their annual Beaver Festival on April 12 at Mission Plaza in downtown SLO. For more information, click here.
