Beaver believers seek ways to help rodent return to its historical NM homelands

CHIMAYÓ — The beavers were gone just as abruptly as they’d arrived.

A few years ago, an industrious pair of beavers moved into a stretch of the Rio Quemado near the historic Santuario de Chimayó.

Over several years, the beavers built dams in Los Potreros Open Space owned by Santa Fe County that caused a nearby riparian zone to flourish and water to flow more consistently in the river.

But after flash flooding last year washed out some of their dam network, the beaver couple vanished, presumably having moved on to a new location.

Beaver advocates, or “beaver believers,” say the experience illustrates how the hardworking rodents can change local landscapes, especially amid concerns over climate change and fire danger.

“Beavers are the cheapest, easiest way to try to address that,” said Peggy Darr, a former Santa Fe County employee who now works for Defenders of Wildlife, a nonprofit group that’s pushing to reintroduce beavers to some of their historical homelands.

But not all New Mexicans are on board with beaver restoration efforts.

An earmark in this year’s state budget bill providing $3.5 million to the Department of Game and Fish for conservation efforts involving the American beaver and other species drew criticism and ridicule from some groups.

“If they have millions to waste on beavers, they don’t need to raise our taxes,” a Farmington-based organization called Defend New Mexico said in a TV ad opposing a proposed surtax on oil production.

The spending provision ultimately survived, however, and the allocated funds will be used to pay for fieldwork in various waterways around New Mexico, according to Game and Fish Carnivore and Small Mammal Program Manager Nick Forman.

That work could include assessing unoccupied habitat on public lands to see if it would be suitable for the reintroduction of beavers, as well as collaborating with private landowners who want beavers on their property, Forman said.

Already, the Department of Game and Fish has started relocating beavers in parts of northern New Mexico for the first time in years, fitting the animals with radio transmitters to track the program’s success.

Don’t call it a comeback

After being trapped to near extinction during the 1800s and targeted as troublesome pests during more modern times, beavers are increasingly seen by a growing group of scientists and advocates as a keystone species for a healthy ecosystem.

Improved flood control, reduced fire danger and stabilized habitat for endangered species are just a few of the benefits brought by beavers, backers say.

Emilio Borrego, a farmer, educator and acequia commissioner in Cordova, said some elderly residents remember a time when water was more abundant due in part to beaver activity.

“Beavers have pretty much transformed this landscape due to their presence,” Borrego said.

With a reduced beaver presence, however, river incision has become more common, a phenomenon that occurs when rivers cut downward into their own beds.

Under a contract to work with local landowners, Borrego said he has reached out to around 90 people about plans to improve beaver habitat along the Rio Quemado and the Santa Cruz River. That work could involve installing beaver dam analogues, or manmade beaver dam simulations that are intended to strategically encourage beavers to locate in areas that make the most sense.

While some residents have expressed staunch opposition, Borrego said the majority are open to hearing about what a stable and sustainable beaver population would mean.

“I’m not trying to push anything on the community,” said Borrego, who added he views his role as helping educate local residents about both benefits and limitations.

“When you reach out to people with information, most of them are pretty open,” he added.

For her part, Darr acknowledged some residents remain concerned about possible impact on downstream water flows and other issues.

She said advocates have delayed some of their planned habitat improvement work for that reason, while adding that supporters understand beaver dams are not appropriate in some locations, such as acequia ditches.

Beavers can also erode roads and cause flooding in low-lying areas, though technology like dam levelers and flow devices that allow a certain amount of water flow to pass through beaver dams can mitigate some of those impacts.

“There are always some losers with beavers, but it’s a natural process,” Darr said. “And there are more positives than negatives.”

How NM’s beaver population stacks up

As part of its beaver conservation initiative, Defenders of Wildlife recently commissioned a survey that mapped 4,732 beaver dams across New Mexico, with most activity located in northern New Mexico.

Specifically, the study, which was conducted by Utah State University researchers who analyzed aerial imagery, found the highest concentration of dams along three waterways: the Upper Rio Grande, the Chama River and the Cimarron River.

The study found New Mexico had only about 13.5% of the number of beaver dams in Montana, a discrepancy attributed to differences in vegetation and hydrology in the two states.

But the study included some surprising findings, including a healthy population of beavers in the Rio Hondo in southern New Mexico and a greater prevalence of beaver dams on private land than public land statewide.

Darr said the survey will help advocates prioritize improving beaver habitat in areas located near existing beaver populations. That makes more sense than trying to reintroduce beavers in areas they haven’t lived in for decades, she said.

While the co-existence of beavers and humans remains a complicated issue, especially in highly populated areas, Darr said New Mexicans seem to be increasingly supportive of the furry ecosystem engineers.

“We’ve definitely turned some people into beaver believers,” she said.