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 The Lands Council's research and they 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.  Learn more HERE. 

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