All you have to do is believe!

Alli started with CCWC in July 2020 and is currently working on an addendum to the Upper Slate River Watershed Plan.

I've been working as biologist in aquatic systems for close to eight years now and somehow I made it to 2020 without seeing a beaver. One of my first jobs was in the Pacific Northwest where I worked on a field crew collecting a wide array of watershed data.

Throughout my time with this program I saw huge herds of elk, bald eagles, salamanders as big as my arm, and river otters feasting on shellfish, but I just could not manage catch a glimpse of those furry rodents!

When CCWC's 2020 field season started up in July, I was surprised when beavers almost immediately moved in near one of our field sites. Clearly they were present and active, but they didn't tend to be out when I was working. Finally, in early November on one of my last field days of the season, I caught my lucky break. Something in the river caught my eye as I was driving home along Slate River Road. I pulled over and to my sheer and utter delight, three beavers were busily harvesting from a willow stand. After turning off my car I watched for about 20 minutes as they interacted, swam, waddled on land, and collected limbs of the trees. I could barely contain my joy!

CCWC is currently pursuing opportunities with local partners to implement low-tech, process-based wetland restoration projects across the valley emphasizing the use of beaver mimicry in rivers and streams. For more see the Gunnison Country Times article "Leave it to Beavers".

Beaver dams in the Upper Slate River Watershed impound water to support extensive wetlands, attenuate flood flows, and buoy flows in the late summer.