Beavers are back on Tule River tribe lands
TULE RIVER, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) – Beavers have been released into the South Fork Tule River watershed on the Tule River Indian Reservation, officials announced on Friday.
Officials say they released seven beavers into the South Fork Tule River watershed as part of a multi-year beaver reintroduction effort done in partnership with the Tule River Tribe and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW).
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According to officials, beavers play a critical role in the ecology and stewardship of the land. They build dams that retain water on the landscape, extending seasonal flows increasing summer baseflows, improving drought and wildfire resilience, and better conserving the tribe’s drinking water supply.
“We’ve been through numerous droughts over the years. Going through these droughts we were wondering how we can conserve, save water, get water here on our lands,” said Kenneth McDarment, a Tule River Tribe member and past tribal councilman. “The answer was in our pictographs.”
Officials say that Tribal elders recall beavers being present in the high-elevation meadows when they were young, but before the release, beavers had not been present on the reservation for decades.
Ten years ago, officials say, tribal leaders had set a course to bring beavers back to the Tule River watershed, and through research, advocacy, and the state’s pursuit of a nature-based solution, CDFW received state funding to launch its Beaver Restoration Program in 2022.
The program created a pathway for the Tribe to reintroduce beavers into their river waters, supporting efforts to ready sites to receive the beavers.
Officials say the initial release was on June 12 and included three adult beavers, one subadult, and three babies or “kits.” Two additional beavers were released into Miner Creek on the Tule River Reservation on June 17, and more will be reintroduced in the coming months and years to reestablish a genetically diverse population in the watershed.
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