Category

North American Beaver

The North American Beaver was nearly wiped out in much of North America due to pelt harvests from the 17th through 19th century. While the beaver has recolonized many of the wetter portions of Texas in recent years, their return to west Texas has been slowed by runoff and siltation from overgrazed lands, and by the loss of riparian forests due to logging for mine structures and kiln fuel, and the ensuing loss of alluvial aquifers and perennial flows. Some argue for returning the beaver to help re-engineer and restore wetlands and streamd.

Interviews

Narrator: Jeffrey BennettTitle: Beaver AnalogsDuration: 00:03:59Date: July 19, 2023Many watercourses in west Texas have suffered from down-cutting due to overgrazing and lumbering, causing riparian willows and cottonwoods to die out, and creeks and alluvial aquifers to dry out. Jeff Bennett, a hydrologist who has worked in the Big Bend and Trans-Pecos for the National Park Service and the American Bird Conservancy, is exploring ways to mimic the beaver's engineering strategies to try to restore these creeks.