What is The Beaver Solution? Simply put, it is allowing beavers to do what they do naturally; build dams and store water, which slowly releases to increase flows in the late summer. After hearing that the Washington State Department of Ecology (DOE) was investigating several locations to build large new dams on canyon tributaries to the Columbia River to store early spring runoff and release it late in the summer, The Lands Council proposed a unique alternative – The Beaver Solution – reintroducing beavers to build dams to store spring runoff. Beaver dams also create wetland areas that retain rain and snowmelt, trap sediment making streams cleaner, increase ground water levels, and create habitat for fish and wildlife.

A grant from the DOE is partially funding our research and we are working with landowners to find locations to reintroduce beavers throughout Eastern Washington. This study will identify physical locations for beaver dams based on the best suitable habitat for beavers, provide estimates of water storage potential, and address the social and economic benefits, including opportunities for water banking and conservation easements.  Click here to learn more.

What's New:

• On March 1st, 2010, The Lands Council submitted their final report on The Beaver Solution to the Washington State Department of Ecology.  Read the entire report here! Use the link below to open the PDF document.

    The Beaver Solution

• Check out The Beaver Solution Video
  
  
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Thank you to the Temper of The Times Foundation, Inc. for funding the video production.  The Beaver Solution video was produced by Hamilton Studio and Klündt|Hosmer.

• High Country News cover story - Voyage of the Dammed - Nature's engineers -- and environmental heroes -- make a comeback  

• Mother Nature's little helpers - The busy beaver may be key to region's water issues