Environment: Western beaver dams in the US may keep rivers clean | Nature Communications | nature wallet

A paper suggests that beaver dams may have a greater impact on river water quality by controlling river flow and nitrogen and oxygen flows than extreme climate-induced hydrologic events.temper nature Posted in Communications. The findings, based on a study of river channels in Colorado, USA, suggest that expanding beaver habitats may help reduce the negative effects of climate change on water quality in water systems.

Extreme hydrological events (such as rapid snowmelt and heavy rain) are known to affect water quality in major river systems. Increased climate variability, along with other human influences, is leading to changes in hydrological extremes, with increased frequency and severity of droughts and floods. In addition, the climate of the western United States is generally warmer and drier, which expands the range of American beavers. The damming behavior of these beavers is known to influence the flow and quality of water in local river systems.

Scott Wendorf and colleagues monitor the effects of climate-induced extremes of hydrologic events during the 2018-2019 low water season and melt flood season in the East River Basin, Colorado, USA. Compare beavers before and after dam construction. They found that the hydrological response of this basin is affected by climate change, with changes in river runoff, carbon emissions, nutrients, and pollutants, and the effects of beaver dams are expected to increase. They suggested it might have been toned down. Next, Wendorf and colleagues show that beaver dams increase the river’s water gradients by more than 10 times the intense seasonal hydrologic events. This increases nitrate removal by about 50% compared to seasonal extreme hydrologic events alone, improving water quality for oxygen-respiring aquatic organisms.

Although climate change is expected to alter the patterns of seasonal extremes, precipitation and temperature, Wendorf et al have expressed the view that it may be beneficial in maintaining water quality downstream.

doi: 10.1038/s41467-022-34022-0

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