Following a year of planning and preparation the Devon Wildlife Trust (DWT) has moved two beavers to a secure enclosure in northern Devon, beginning a three year experiment to restore a rare wetland habitat and find out how the animals impact on the landscape.

The project, which has been funded by Viridor Credits Ltd, is being carried out on a 2.8 hectare Culm grassland and wet woodland site in private ownership.

The move took place in early spring and the two beavers are settling into their new home well. The charity has installed high grade fencing to ensure the beavers remain confined and will now begin measuring the impacts they have on the site’s wildlife, hydrology, biology and water chemistry.

Be very careful of what you wish.

Similar 'experiment' here in a couple of places on the upper Rogue River (Southern Oregon). It's worked all too well. Their 'habitat' now covers at least 10 miles of shore line in one area where I fish.

Only 'good thing' is the river's too big for them to do anything with that, but if there's wet lands/ponds to build their lodges .... DI-NO-MITE!

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"The problems we face today are there because the people who work for a
living are now outnumbered by those who vote for a living." -- Anonymous

For a full report on the project and a discussion of it's likely impact on migratory fish check out yesterday's Saving Species on Radio 4.
It was a good programme, well worth a listen and fairly balanced in it's approach to the reintroduction of a recently extinct native species.

I'd be more inclined to favour this project if our rivers were in good heart and were able to take more in stream barriers but that isn't the case, it's far from it in fact.

Benefits of beaver dams such as slow release of rainwater and their function of stripping sediments and nitrates are referred to on the programme but I'm not convinced.

Check it out for yourself here

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Musha rig um du rum da

Hello i think your right so many of our beautifull rivers are not in the best of health, from abstraction to pollution to overgrown banks, and loss of natural wildlife, the mink problem too has seen a decline of fishing rivers, much hard work is seen as in london and other areas to redress this, it what not what nature intended to abstract from rivers like the Lavant long since gone only coming to life after weeks of rain to the detriment of the Chichester floods, is that progress??. the beaver project in north devon a beautifull area is i hope not going to destroy what fishing is all about but to go along together for us all to enjoy.

I am in devon in june , hoping for some beaver, lol

seriously looking at the beaver lodges i have seen in newfoundland , some of the smaller rivers may suffer

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its not how you tie your flies , its how you tease your flies

Beaver !!!!!!!. watchout for Wood Peckers

Come on Guys, Beaver are 'vegetarians.' Now Mink/Muskrats/etc ... another game plan. That said, they focus on small fish not something as large as a Migratory fish.

Now the fry .... there they'd be targets at that size.

That said, for a 'Million Years' these critters have co-existed, and did until we figured out how to screw it up?

'End of Rant'

__________________
"The problems we face today are there because the people who work for a
living are now outnumbered by those who vote for a living." -- Anonymous