Living with Beavers
Supporting the Power of Beavers in Corvallis
Beavers are extraordinary animals with a profound influence on our local ecosystems and enrich our culture. Corvallis is working with beavers to improve environmental benefits. Collaboration with City departments and community organizations has been essential in making this project a success. Thank you to everyone that is involved. Together, we aim to further harmonize beavers and our urban environment.
Beaver Dam Pond Levelers Help Reduce Flooding
- For information on pond levelers see: https://www.beaversolutions.com/getbeaver-control-products/flexible-pond-levelers/
- Many communities successfully employ these devices, with over 3,000 beaver dam pond levelers in use across the United States, and Corvallis proudly contributing to this number.
- Land managers increasingly recognize the positive impact of beavers and are adopting these devices for a variety of benefits.
- Regular maintenance of these devices is vital to ensure they continue to optimize water flow and minimize the risk of flooding.
- Living with beavers requires adaptive management. As beavers respond to the pond leveler and continue to alter their environment, our team will assess further actions as needed to maintain beaver presence and manage flooding impacts.
Beavers Are Active in Corvallis
Beavers are active and thriving in several Corvallis creeks, as they regularly move opportunistically to utilize available resources. Their presence significantly contributes to the local ecology and water management.
Trail cameras are currently in use at Bruce Starker Arts Park and Natural Area to capture images and videos of beaver activity. To learn more, go to:
Beavers of Bruce Starker Arts Park & Dunawi Creek | Facebook
Explore More About Beavers
- Benton County Agriculture & Wildlife Protection Program
- NOAA Fisheries: Putting Beavers to Work for You
- NRDC: Partnering with Beavers to Adapt to Climate Change
- Western Beavers Cooperative
- Beavers in King County
- "Beaver Institute" Beavers Uncovered: Dam over Troubled Water
- Beavers Solutions
- Beavallis Webinars:
- Local Beavers: How They Live and How We Live With Them
- Opportunities for a New Beaver/Human Relationship
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- Local and Global Benefits of Protecting Beavers
Contact the City of Corvallis
- Public Works Stormwater: Ted.Hart@corvallisoregon.gov | 541-766-6454
- Parks & Rec: Emily.Day@corvallisoregon.gov | 541-740-8061
A Positive Partnership
Beaver have been building dams within Bruce Starker Arts Park and Natural Area since the wetland was restored in 2006. In winter 2023, the adjacent parking lot flooded during a storm event, which was attributed to a beaver dam built nearby within the South Branch of Dunawi Creek. Corvallis Parks & Recreation started discussions with Corvallis Public Works to find a solution to the flooding issue that would allow the retention of the dam and co-existence with the beavers. This project developed into a collaborative effort with the Benton County Agriculture & Wildlife Protection Program, Marys River Watershed Council, Western Beavers Cooperative, NOAA Fisheries, Corvallis Sustainability Coalition, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and OR Dept. of Fish & Wildlife, which resulted in the installation of the pond leveler in summer 2023.
The pond leveler uses the natural water pressure in the pond to force water through the pipe to exit through the dam downstream. This creates a leak in the dam that the beavers are not able to find and plug without disrupting the dam while keeping the pond at a desired level, approximately 12" lower. While this doesn’t eliminate the parking lot flooding during storm events, it does reduce the frequency of flooding and allows the parking lot to drain much faster than it would without the pond leveler in place.
Partners involved that collaborated on the project: Corvallis Public Works, Corvallis Parks and Recreation, Benton County Agriculture and Wildlife Protection Program, Marys River Watershed Council, Western Beavers Cooperative, NOAA Fisheries, Corvallis Sustainability Coalition, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Mid-Willamette Beaver Partnership
The Environmental Benefits of Beaver Dams
Beaver dams provide a wide range of environmental benefits, including:
- Reducing the impact of wildfires by providing wildlife refuge during fires.
- Increasing resilience to climate change through water storage, wetland development, and sequestering carbon.
- Slowing water flow, spreading out and retaining groundwater, and limiting high flows all decrease downstream flood impacts.
- Recharges floodplains.
- Lowering water temperatures, benefiting fish habitat.
- Allowing pollutants to be filtered through the soil and plant roots.
- Maintaining summer water flows through the slow release of retained water.
- Retains soil moisture for wetland plant communities.
