Get involved with your watershed. Check out our M.A.R.S. program for chance to help!
Help us Keep Teaching Future Generations about Beavers
Get involved with your watershed. Check out our M.A.R.S. program for chance to help!
Help us Keep Teaching Future Generations about Beavers
Join us for our warm weather BeaverCount, this SATURE JUNE, 11TH. Click here for details.
Watershed Guardians needs your help to calibrate our stream gauges. These gauge help us monitor stream flow throughout the Mink. With the dam data that you have collected, you can help us link beaver to stream flow. Read more about it and register to help on our M.A.R.S. page.
Contratulations to all of the new Flat-tailers (we have 18 new ones this year! And a hearty "Tail Slap" to all the veteran Flat-tailers who helped us monitor beaver populations in our watershed!
Teams counted the main stem and the South Fork of Mink Creek and got some great sun snowshoeing and skiing in late January-Early February to catch some activity.
The BeaverHeaded Scouts proobably saw the most activity in Zone III. Other locations include V and VI. Zone IX had no activity. Ironically and sadly, this zone has been an important refuge for beaver fro the past 10 years.
Don't forget to enter your team's name for our Best Team Name contest! Prizes will be awarded to all team members for best team name!
Send us your pics! Fantastic vista? Fun group photo? Let's see it! You may win a prize of some sort ;-)
Whether it's on video, text, email, or written on a sheet of paper, we don't care! We want to hear about your experiences counting beaver habitat. It Counts!
We are planning an informal rendezvous for all of this year's Flat-tailers. We'll post the date in the calanedar and on Facebook.
We plan to Count Pebble Creek sometime in March, 2022. Visit this page or our facebook page to get updates.
don't forget our June Count on Toponce Creek. Itis a much different experience. It's warm!
Leif and Peter interview Watershed Guardians founder and Excutive Director Mike Settell about the origins of the organization (It was a bet), and the multiple benefits offered by and challenges facing beaver in Idaho.
The half-hour program features Peter Pruett, Zoo Idaho Superintendent, and Dr. Leif Tapanila, Director of the Idaho Museum of Natural History, highlighting how the Gem State’s wild places have shaped Idaho’s past, present and future. The show features segments on nature news and a fun fact.
“Idaho has so much to offer in terms of varied landscapes, habitats, geology, and people,” said Peter Pruett. “ ‘The Nature of Idaho’ is about sharing our excitement for all that is wild Idaho - the places and the faces.”
"We hope our listeners will take a little time with us to reconnect with nature, whether we're talking about digging up dinosaurs or listening to crickets in the backyard,” said Dr. Leif Tapanila. “There's always something amazing going on outside."
Those who are unable to catch the airing of The Nature of Idaho can download a podcast of previous episodes at kisu.org/programs/TheNatureOfIdaho. Click here or scroll down to download and listen to the file.
This is an audio file of KISU's Nature of Idaho with guest, Mike Settell of Watershed Guardians, September, 2021
The Nature of Idaho - Beaver (mp3)
DownloadThe "Believers" film temporarily unavailable. Check back as we hope to have an a la carte version available soon, with a portion of the ticket price to go to Watershed Guardians. However, we encourage you to view our selected videos from on Youtube by visiting our channel here
This event is available in both on-line and in person. The on-line tickets are updated with links and viewing times.
We are asking that our supporters ask Westside Ranger Kim Obele to open comments on a proposal to construct artificial beaver dams on the South Fork Mink. Download this letter and either attach it to an email and send to kim.obele@usda.gov or mail it to 4350 S. Cliffs Drive
Pocatello, Idaho 83204
Thank you
Please download this attachment and forward to the Ranger and ask for a hearing. Then, stay tuned for the opportunity to comment.
The USFS is considering a proposal by IDFG to construct 54 artificial beaver dams on the South Fork of Mink Creek. A handful of beaver are surviving on the South Fork. Their numbers have been steadily declining for the past 4 years as some of you Flat-tailers. We don't think that constructing more dams will give the few remaining beaver there the necessary protection needed to allow them to thrive and would like the opportunity to ask questions and have our ideas heard in a public forum.
The proposed project by Idaho Fish and Game (IDFG) consists of two phases. One would install thirty some artificial beaver dams on the West Fork of Mink Creek and fifty some on the South Fork.
Beaver Dam Analogues or BDAs is the term coined by Dr Joe Wheaton of Utah State. They are intended to mimic the behavior of beaver by impounding water and creating multiple small ponds. Their stated mission is to improve bank stability and create habitat for native fish. Dr. Wheaton has contracts with IDFG.
There are several key differences between BDAs and beaver dams:
Your watershed is like your community: Respect it and it will take care of you. (Video by Mitch Popa)
The "Canadian Wannabe Swamp Donkeys" patrolling for beaver during BeaverCount (DV-1)
Plugged culvert? Trying installing a BeaverDeciever (tm). We can help. Fill out a questionnaire here.
Reverse Rendezvous coming in April
Are we racing towards drought? Will there be sufficient water for the future? What are the solutions. Check out our newest video that answers some of these questions
Flat-tailers are what we call our beaver volunteers. Please donate to help them continue their studies in outdoor leadership.
Deep snow? Cold weather? Not a problem for this year's Flat-tailers. Check out the updates here!
Want a deeper dive on beaver behavior? What about conflicts? Water quality? Learn more by consulting these resources
Want to help in other ways? We may need material or services. Perhaps we are looking for some truck hauling or something you can do from home? Click the "Volunteer" button below and find a list of services or other ways you can help. You might be surprised! (Photo: ISU leadership students help others by leading them on snowshoe excursions into the Watershed.
Joan is showing a future flat-tailer how beavers help with the watershed
We are a community-based organization focused on helping make the natural world around us a better, happier place. With the help of our tireless volunteers, we organize fundraisers, fund community-building events, and host in-depth training for our volunteers.
Are you passionate about watershed conservation? Let us know! We are always looking for volunteers to help us make our vision a reality. We'll help you find a way to volunteer that best suits you. We're excited to have you join the team! beaver conservation beaver damage control
Thank you to all who helped out with BeaverDamJam-Idaho. Special thanks to those who donated items for the Raffle (Sportsmans and CAL Ranch); the silent auction (to many to count) and Countless volunteers who helped. Also, special shout out to Teran Engle who ran the sound for us. You rocked it!
Watershed Guardians
Watershed Guardians PO Box 634 Pocatello, ID 83204US
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