Frequently Asked Questions about Wetland Management and finding Beaver Solutions

Beaver are what is called a keystone species. Keystone species are species that are relied upon by many other species, or by the ecosystem itself. This means that when a keystone species is removed, the ecosystem shifts drastically and can result in a large loss of species, and potentially cause species to go extinct. Iowa is lucky enough to have this keystone species in its streams, but finding ways to coexist with agriculture and residential areas has been difficult. Many other states in the U.S. have gathered incredible research about benefits beavers and their dams in regards to watershed health, water quality, soil quality, and ecosystem diversity. Iowa is far behind this, still offering rewards for beaver kill. Now that there are proven methods to coexist, there is no reason Iowa cannot coexist with beavers and reap the watershed benefits we desperately need.

This is probably Reed Canary Grass, a very invasive grass across Iowa, and yes, it loves to have wet feet!

Managing the Reed Canary Grass will be essential to creating the room for wetland plants in the long run. Mowing is not always safe, or recommended in those areas, as a management method. Booking a free consult to shape out a management plan to get the grass under control would be a great first step here.

If you happen to have a property that a beaver finds as good habitat, you will likely be killing beavers for the rest of your life, because beavers will keep coming and finding it. Rather than killing, choosing one of the many coexistence tactics to calm your concerns while coexisting is more cost effective and time effective, than spending the time frequently removing dams and setting traps throughout the duration of your time as a property owner.

Tree guarding is a really easy way to protect your trees, while also protecting whatever trees you want to protect. As mentioned earlier, if beaver find your property as good habitat, removing the beaver will not solve the problem. Another beaver could come along. It makes more sense to protect the tree, if there happens to be some trees you want to protect. Or, perhaps you recently planted a bunch of trees and want to protect them. Project Beaver has fantastic resources, click here to read about Tree Protection.

Beavers are ecosystem engineers! When they build a dam, they are creating a pond that expands wetland habitat. These dams and resulting ponds can cool and recharge up the groundwater, allow diversity for plants (many of which are critically endangered wetland plants) to grow, not to mention, these dams work to slow down the rate of floods. Beavers are great workers—diligent and relentless, and if a dam breaks, they don’t rest until it is rebuilt. When the groundwater is higher, we experience less flash flood and drought cycles. Beavers also create habitat for incredible wildlife— blue herons, ducks, snakes, just to name a few that benefit from beavers. Beaver dams have recently been studied to help stream health, and remove runoff from agriculture. The benefits go on and on— but beyond all, beavers are colony-oriented and monogamous, creating a family and often living our their lives in one pond. Having beavers on your property can be a beautiful, once in a lifetime masterclass of land stewardship — learning from the best.

There are two great options: the Culvert Protection System or the Pond Leveler System

By installing one of these systems, you can live worry-free that as beavers come and go, your road will remain clear. No more long days removing dams.