September 2020The transformation
of the Otter Valley
How Devon’s resident beavers rapidly
created a new wetland habitat.We round a bend through
a copse of poplar trees and
I encounter another world.
Mark laughs at my stunned
expression. “This is why we
love beavers!”
Spread out before me is
a vast wetland, protectively
held in the embrace of
an enormous dam. Mini
waterfalls tumble into
semi-aquatic microhabitats,
pools, eddies and flows. It’s
chaotic and unruly – but in a good way. I
have never seen anything like it. “Human
engineers like concrete, straight lines, neat
edges – things they can predict and design.
With beavers,” Mark beams, “you get this.”
Pressing reset
A year ago, this was all but a patch of scrub
ribboned with a tiny vein of water. Today,
reclaimedbythebeavers,
it showcasesthe
bestofthe
Toptobottom:the
damscanbepretty
impressivestructures;
hometoextended
beaverfamilies,
lodgesaredwellings
constructedfrom
branchesandmud;
trialshavealsotaken
placetoreturnbeavers
toCornwalland
Scotland.TREE FELLING
An open canopy
allows more sunlight
to reach the woodland
floor, creating varied
vegetation.mammals’ handiwork. “600 years
ago, all of our wetland communities
would have been created in these
conditions,” says Mark. “This is why
we call beavers a keystone species.”
Complex, rich and diverse, the
potential for supporting a robust food-
chain is plain to see.
The clear, shallow currents beyond
the main dam spill into navigable side
channels rolling over a clean gravel system.
“If you’re a trout,” nods Mark, “there’s your
spawning ground.”
The beavers tend to their dams
constantly – guided by instinct. If the wall
is breached, they react to the sound of the
new rush of water, sourcing wood, mud
and vegetation to patch it up. The water
level is raised and the wetland conserved.
Wetland habitat covers 3 per cent of the
UK, yet houses 10 per cent of our species.Wetlands are disproportionately important
to our environment, but are declining three
times faster than forests. This particular
wetland is a staggering example of what
beavers can do if a management system of
the catchment area is in place.
Where the water approaches the road,
Clinton Devon Estate officers intervene.
Even removing the top few inches from
the dam can lower the water level such that
the flooding doesn’t reach farmland. After
the February storms, field officers and
volunteers removed one dam altogether, as
the pools that had accumulated behind it
had waterlogged a nearby field. Mitigating
strategies such as these are crucial to
preserve concord between industrious
beavers and a lively farming community.
“Beavers are a brilliant part of the
solution in tackling issues that arise with
the way humans manage water,” says