proposed beaver release in West Wales.

[endeavour]

Following a BBC news report and subsequent calls to NRW it has been confirmed that a wildlife faction has made an application to release beavers into two rivers in Carmarthenshire . Does anyone in areas where this has been tried any comments on effects to agriculture in those areas. Is it a retrograde step in terms of water runoff and quality and what do you see are the positives if any--, are there any economic benefits to land owners/occupiers adjoining the areas or is the prospect of waterlogged land and potential increase in trespass to observe and possibly hunt these animals again too appealing to some---its how they died out before and PS looking for some fertile Dinosaur eggs,,,,,,

 

[Selectamatic]

You got me dead excited with your title, you built me up, then knocked me down!

 

[GTB]

FFS!

There are Beavers about five miles from here but they're in an enclosure and haven't been released to the wild. I expect they'll 'escape' before long though.
http://www.blaeneinion.co.uk/

 

[Exfarmer]

They were wiped out due to being a real nightmare for drainage and they have real nice fur to wear.
The real problem with beaver dams is they will impede river flows until they fail, which they will eventually. They then release an uncontrolled torrent of water and detritus. This is liable to take out lower dams and the problems get worse.
If you go on youtube there are any number of videos of blowing up beaver dams to prevent disasters happening.
The idea of reintroduction is pure lunacy

 

[Archie]

No benefits whatsoever.
Almost all the willow, alder and other bankside trees gone over a mile long stretch of river here and they are up the whole 40 mile length of it and some of the tributaries.

No sign of any of the promised benefits such as regrowth of young saplings.
Used to have lots of alder growing on mudflats next to the river bank this protected the banking from erosion when river in spate but all gone.
River banks being undermined where they build their lodges which then collapse.
Can't see how any of this can improve water quality either.

 

[Archie]

Some pics taken last week

 

[GTB]

Some pics taken last week

View attachment 455052 View attachment 455056 View attachment 455058

How can that be good for the environment?

 

[Agrispeed]

If you can get beavers to hold water upstream in a unimportant area you can use them to slow down water flow, as a flood defence.

They do need the right area for it to work well. At present I believe they need to be fenced in with a pretty substantial fence, both above and below ground.

If we don't embrace and adopt these ideas as farmers, we leave it open for other groups to push for their use, and they may not understand or care about farmer's needs or wants. If we at least co-operate with such schemes we can at least have some say in their implementation.

 

[hindmaist]

I like to think there's room in these islands for a bit of rewilding,but it seems to me that when it comes to beavers,controls will have to be so rigorous as render the whole thing an excercise in tokenism.

 

[Roger Perry]

Plenty of beaver along our stretch of the Rio Grande river, not really any problems, they will gnaw on the trees along the bank but it's nothing you cant live with..........good to see them around.

 

[Gone Shooting]

Nice beaver .

 

[Cowabunga]

If you can get beavers to hold water upstream in a unimportant area you can use them to slow down water flow, as a flood defence.

They do need the right area for it to work well. At present I believe they need to be fenced in with a pretty substantial fence, both above and below ground.

If we don't embrace and adopt these ideas as farmers, we leave it open for other groups to push for their use, and they may not understand or care about farmer's needs or wants. If we at least co-operate with such schemes we can at least have some say in their implementation.

Who is going to certify the planning and engineering and safety of such dams? Are the beavers to be held to account when they inevitably fail catastrophically and send a water surge full of debris down the watercourse, endangering life and property? Or are the people who release them to be held personally liable for damages, as they should be?

 

[Drillman]

You got me dead excited with your title, you built me up, then knocked me down!

That's a big 10-4 good buddy

 

[Agrispeed]

Who is going to certify the planning and engineering and safety of such dams? Are the beavers to be held to account when they inevitably fail catastrophically and send a water surge full of debris down the watercourse, endangering life and property? Or are the people who release them to be held personally liable for damages, as they should be?

Beavers should not be used on large rivers - The idea is not to dam water, but to slow down the flow. I doubt many of the areas where the use of beaver to control water flow would be areas that you would see a 'catastrophic' water surge but more a smaller tributary to a larger river that may flood when under heavy pressure. More a stream than a river, For example a stream running through a valley of wet woodland would be a perfect situation, with a catchment area of hundreds of hectares, rather than thousands. This suits farming well, as there is no lost production or risk of flooding, and also helps to scrub pollution and protect people downstream.

The Eurasian Beaver normally does not build as dams quite like it's American cousin. They tend to burrow into the bank of a river, and therefore their dams are much less substantial. Therefore there is less risk of them breaching, and if they do, there is no real danger to those downstream.

There is, amusingly, 'beaver insurance' which would cover any risk of damage, however, well managed there should be no risk. Furthermore, as the charities running these projects would be the ones who would liable, the idea of persecuting people is ludicrous.

 

[DrWazzock]

More vermin.

 

[Cowabunga]

Furthermore, as the charities running these projects would be the ones who would liable, the idea of persecuting people is ludicrous.

Why? What are they afraid of if they and you are so confident? I'm held liable for damage my business does to other people, even to walkers that I don't want on my property, so why shouldn't the people who decide and do release such pests be directly liable for consequential damage caused by their deliberate action?

 

[Agrispeed]

Why? What are they afraid of if they and you are so confident? I'm held liable for damage my business does to other people, even to walkers that I don't want on my property, so why shouldn't the people who decide and do release such pests be directly liable for consequential damage caused by their deliberate action?

I doubt it. Most farms are a ltd company, which as well as various tax benefits means that the company is liable, not the individual. If you are not, I would seriously consider doing this.

What are your thoughts on how to control the pollution and flooding problems downstream then?

 

[Woolly]

Is there any history of beavers in W Wales?

If so when did they disappear?

I see they are in the River Otter in Devon -any probs there?

What's to stop them spreading to other rivers?

 

[Cowabunga]

Is there any history of beavers in W Wales?

If so when did they disappear?

What's to stop them spreading to other rivers?

Or to drainage ditches.

 

[Cowabunga]

I doubt it. Most farms are a ltd company, which as well as various tax benefits means that the company is liable, not the individual. If you are not, I would seriously consider doing this.

What are your thoughts on how to control the pollution and flooding problems downstream then?

Most are not actually. I've dealt with literally hundreds of farm businesses and a small minority are limited companies.