Current work in wildlife, rivers, public lands, and climate

QUESTA, N.M.—Today, a panel presented to the New Mexico Water and Natural Resources Committee about the potential benefits of beavers to the state. Dr. Emily Fairfax, an ecohydrologist from the University of Minnesota, was among the panelists and shared her research describing how beavers create drought and wildfire resistant patches on the landscape.

Other panel members – which included a wildlife advocate and a restoration practitioner – are among a growing chorus of voices urging decision-makers to invest in beaver coexistence and restoration for the sake of community and landscape resiliency.

“My research team has found thousands of examples of beaver wetlands staying green during even the most extreme wildfires. And we’ve found very few examples of them burning,” said Dr. Fairfax. “It is clear that beaver wetlands not only create, but preserve, habitat for themselves as well as the numerous other species of fish, amphibian, mammal, reptile, bird, and insect that rely on access to wetlands and riparian ecosystems.”

“Beavers can help recharge aquifers, mitigate flooding and drought, reduce wildfire damage, create aquatic and wetlands habitat, and provide more clean, cool water to all life that relies on it – including humans,” said Chris Smith, wildlife program director for WildEarth Guardians. “New Mexico has some beavers, but there is a lot that could be done to expand the population and help humans coexist with these incredible landscape engineers. In terms of cost-effective climate resilience, it’s a no-brainer.”

Smith helped start the New Mexico Beaver Project earlier this year to advance beaver policy in the state. The website describes the project as “a group of organizations and individuals who believe that beavers can help make New Mexico’s lands more lush, resilient, hospitable and productive for people and wildlife.”

“Historically, beavers were more abundant throughout New Mexico and they provided benefits to water quality and quantity that are now diminished,” says Karen Menetrey of Rio Grande Return. “Currently only about 7% of New Mexico’s surface waters are perennial, and 45% of assessed waters are impaired for water quality (per New Mexico Environment Department data). Beavers can improve these metrics by storing water in the floodplains of headwater streams, cooling the streams with the shade of riparian vegetation, and sequestering pollutants in wetland soils. We are actively supporting expansion of beaver populations by planting thousands of willows and adding wood to small streams using an approach called low tech process-based restoration.”

The evening before the Water and Natural Resources Committee meeting, beaver advocates, elected officials, and community leaders joined the New Mexico Beaver Project at an event at Fred Baca Park where significant beaver habitat and coexistence work has been implemented by the Town of Taos, demonstrating cohabitation in an urban environment.

“While beaver are one of nature’s greatest tools in building healthy, resilient watersheds, they have historically been viewed as a nuisance that needs to be removed in New Mexico. Finally, we are starting to see public opinion change and demonstration projects, such as the one in Fred Baca Park, showcasing the positive impacts beaver can provide in all landscapes as well as the ability for humans and beaver to coexist in our watersheds,” said Steven Fry, policy and project specialist with Amigos Bravos.

“Beavers are natural allies to our upper watersheds, working tirelessly to slow down water flow, which helps recharge aquifers and sustain streams,” said Ralph Vigil, an acequia parciante from Pecos. “In New Mexico, their presence is beneficial for acequia communities, as their dams not only hold back vital water but also create a lasting resource that nourishes our land and supports traditional agriculture.”

Additional quotes:

“As a volunteer group working to restore wetlands year after year,” said Phil Carter, board president of Albuquerque Wildlife Federation, a group that conducts environmental restoration projects around the state. “We’d be happy to turn over the labor to the animals that also do it for free, and 24/7.”

“When we think about how complex New Mexico’s water problems are, we find that beavers are an exceptional resource, because they address many issues at once,” explained Aidan Manning from New Mexico Wild’s Rivers and Water Program. “They recharge aquifers and create new storage capacity in our headwater streams, in turn sustaining late season streamflow and improving resilience to wildfire and heat stress at a landscape scale.”

“Beavers are natural allies in our fight against climate change and biodiversity loss,” said Michelle Lute, executive director of Wildlife for All. “Their ability to engineer landscapes provides unmatched benefits. By believing in beavers, New Mexico can become a leader in building more resilient communities and ecosystems that are better equipped to face the growing threats of drought, wildfire, and water scarcity. Investing in beaver coexistence and restoration is an investment in our state’s future.”

“The Rewilding Institute recognizes beavers as keystone species, whose presence can trigger a cascade of positive ecological effects that benefit both nature and humanity,” said Jack Humphrey from The Rewilding Institute. “By slowing and retaining water, creating firebreaks, and fostering abundant vegetation for other species, beavers play an outsized role in shaping and restoring healthy, resilient ecosystems.”

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