Photo: The Rio Ojo Caliente is seen adjacent to the beaver habitat and canals during high spring flows. The lush green is acequia irrigated pasture. Abundant wildlife was present on all these lands during my visit.Photo: Ed MacKerrow / In Light of Nature
By Ed MacKerrow
In agriculture, farmers and ranchers are always seeking ways to optimize their water resources and maintain the health of their land. Surprisingly, an unlikely ally in this endeavor is the busy beaver. While often viewed as a nuisance, beavers can coexist harmoniously with irrigated agricultural lands, providing many benefits that far outweigh their occasional challenges. I visited several farms and ranches that coexisted with beavers to observe the abundant biodiversity and effective water management provided by beavers.
Beavers are nature’s engineers, and their dam-building activities profoundly impact the environment. When ranchers and farmers integrate beaver habitat into their working lands, they quickly discover the numerous advantages these industrious rodents offer.
Beaver dams dramatically increase water infiltration into the ground, raising the water table and storing vast amounts. This natural process provides a reliable water source for crops and livestock and helps mitigate the effects of drought.
Moreover, beaver dams act as natural water filters, trapping sediment and pollutants, thus improving the overall water quality. As the water slowly percolates through the dam and into the soil, it undergoes a natural cleansing process, reducing the need for artificial water treatment methods. This filtered water benefits the agricultural land and supports the health of downstream ecosystems.
During my visits to various farms and ranches, I witnessed firsthand the successful coexistence of beavers and irrigated agriculture. In particular, I observed acequia irrigation succeeding in areas where beavers had established dams, ponds, and lodges. The presence of beavers enhanced the effectiveness of these traditional New Mexican irrigation methods, ensuring a stable water supply for the surrounding agricultural lands. In some areas where landowners killed beavers, their wells ran dry, whereas neighboring farms that coexisted with beavers had healthy wells and productive pastures during times of drought.
However, it’s important to acknowledge that beavers can interfere with water delivery systems or threaten valuable trees that landowners wish to protect. In such cases, safeguards and maintenance measures are necessary. Rather than resorting to the extreme measure of eliminating the beavers, forward-thinking landowners are implementing simple adjustments to protect their irrigation systems and valued vegetation.
One such adjustment is the installation of flow devices, such as “beaver deceivers” or “pond levelers,” which allow water to pass through the beaver dam without causing flooding or obstruction. These devices are designed to maintain a consistent water level, ensuring the beavers’ habitat and the irrigation system can function optimally. Additionally, landowners can protect individual trees by wrapping their trunks with wire mesh or painting them with a mixture of sand and latex, making them less appealing to beavers.
Learn more about living with beavers at https://nmbeaverproject.org/.
Wading through beaver marshes, I was impressed with the biodiversity they enabled. I saw New Mexico threatened species of northern leopard frogs and willow fly-catchers, trout, and many species of birds nesting. These wetlands were alive!
Beavers on agricultural lands contribute to improved water security, enhanced soil health, and diverse wetland habitats that support a wide array of plant and animal species. In a world where water scarcity and environmental sustainability are pressing concerns, the partnership between beavers and irrigated agriculture exemplifies how nature and human endeavors can thrive together.