Southern California is notorious for its droughts and fires. A changing climate has caused the area to get drier and drier each year. Water is rare in areas and fires are common. However, an animal can help prevent this issue.

     The North American beaver is a large rodent native to most of North America. Beavers were persecuted for most of history. Beaver pelts were used for clothing, especially hats and due to this they were hunted extensively. Estimates show that during the time of European arrival there were upwards of 400 million beavers across the continent. However, the fur trade did its damage and by 1900 only 100,000 remained.  Since then, beavers have been protected and their population recovered to around 15 million. However, they never recovered in coastal California. This has caused large scale ecological damage and worsened droughts and fires. 

     The Santa Ana River is the location I have found to most suitable for the species. The Santa Ana River is a 96-mile-long river with a drainage basin covering 2,650 square miles of land in San Bernardino County. The river’s drainage is large enough that there are large areas of pristine habitat where the beavers could be released. 

     Beavers are known as ecological engineers do to their dam building. By blocking off streams they create beaver ponds. These ponds provide habitat for 100s of species ranging from minnows to dragonflies to mountain lions. One endangered species in the river, the steelhead trout will greatly benefit from it. These fish rely on healthy stream habitats to breed, and beaver ponds are the perfect location. Areas with beavers have been proven to have significantly more trout and salmon than areas without them. The pond causes large plant growth around it creating a lusher habitat which is great for herbivorous species like deer and rabbits, as well as carnivores who hunt them like coyotes and bobcats. This will greatly benefit the local ecosystem and its environment.

     The area around the Santa Ana is very dry, fires are common especially in recent years. The invasive giant reed has taken over the riverbanks. This reed is highly flammable and has increased wildfires in the area. Beavers can help this issue; beaver ponds create an area of fresh growth around it which serves as a fire blockade. These areas can stop the spread of fires as well as serve as an important safe haven for wildlife.

     Beaver dams also provide more useable water. Polluted water can be cleaned by the dams. Excess nutrients in the river can be stored in the ponds to slow the growth of algae. The bottom of a beaver dam is rich in cellulose. This cellulose can break down and dissolve pesticides and herbicides that leak into the river, making the water safer to drink. On top of that beaver wetlands hold water in one place for much longer than normal. This allows for the water to slowly seep underground, replenishing starved groundwater reserves. Ground water provides large amounts of SoCals water and is crucial for local communities.

     Beavers are often called climate heroes because they fight climate change. Their dams help store nitrogen, a greenhouse gas that is rapidly warming the planet. They get the nitrogen to stay in the riverbed instead of entering the atmosphere. Beaver ponds also store large amounts of carbon dioxide. Beaver dams also cool water, water is continuously warming alongside the planet which has awful effects on the environment. Species like the steelhead trout will die if the water temperature breaches 77 degrees fahrenheit. Beaver dams have been shown to cool water by as much as 5 degrees Fahrenheit which is a massive impact.

In conclusion beavers are a crucial organism for the southern Californian Ecosystem and could greatly benefit local communities.