Friday JohnKu -AKA – TGIF – Fri-Yay/Good News

~ John W. Howell
Photo by Francesco Ungaro on Unsplash

 

This week’s good news story is from Upworthy magazine. I ran a story about French Beavers on October 17th, 2025. Here is the link to that story if you missed it. This post is an update on what’s going on in America. Thanks to Noelle Granger for sending me this article.

Beavers were brought to the desert to save a dying river. Six years later, here are the results.

Their engineering feats are pretty dam incredible.

beavers, beaver dam, animals, wildlife, ecosystem, nature, earth, sustainability, deserts, waterways, rivers, pollution, climate change
Canva Photos

Can outsider beavers save this dried-up river?

It’s not easy being a river in the desert under the best of circumstances. The ecosystem exists in a very delicate balance, allowing water sources to thrive in the harsh conditions. These water sources in otherwise extremely dry areas are vital to the survival of unique wildlife, agriculture, and even tourism, as they provide fresh drinking water for nearby residents.

But man-made problems like climate change, overfarming, and pollution have made the job even tougher in some areas. Rivers in Utah and Colorado, part of the Colorado River Basin, have been barely surviving the extremely harsh drought season. When riverbeds get too dry, fish and other aquatic creatures die off, and wildfire risk increases dramatically.

About six years ago, one team of researchers had a fascinating idea to restore the health of some of Utah’s most vulnerable rivers: Bring in the beavers.

Beaver on riverbank. Canva Photos

In 2019, master’s student Emma Doden and a team of researchers from Utah State University began a “translocation” project to bring displaced beavers to areas like Utah’s Price River, in hopes of reviving the river.

Why beavers? Well, it just makes dam sense! (Sorry.)

In all seriousness, beaver dams restrict the flow of water in some areas of a river, creating ponds and wetlands. In drought-stricken areas, fish and other wildlife can take refuge in the ponds while the rest of the river runs dry, thus riding out the danger until it rains again.

When beavers are present in a watershed, the benefits are unbelievable: Better water quality, healthier fish populations, better nutrient availability, and fewer or less severe wildfires.

It’s why beavers have earned the title of “keystone species,” or any animal that has a disproportionate impact on the ecosystem around them.

Pbs Nature Swimming GIF by Nature on PBS Giphy

Doden and her team took beavers who were captured or removed from their original homes due to being a “nuisance,” interfering with infrastructure, or being endangered, and—after a short period of quarantine—brought them to the Price River.

Despite the research team’s best efforts, not all the translocated beavers have survived or stayed put over the years. Some have trouble adapting to their new home and die off or are killed by predators, while others leave of their own accord.

But since 2019, enough have stayed and built dams that the team is starting to see the results of the effort. In fact, beaver projects just like this one have been going on all over the state in recent years.

The water levels in the river are now the healthiest they’ve been in years. The fish are thriving, and Utah residents are overjoyed with the experiment’s results.

According to an early 2025 column in The Salt Lake Tribune (i.e. six years after the beaver translocation began) the revitalization of the Price River has “helped save [our] Utah town.”

“A tributary of the Colorado River, the Price River runs through downtown Helper,” wrote column authors Lenise Peterman and Jordan Nielson. “On a warm day, you’re likely to find the river filled with tourists and locals kayaking, tubing, and fishing along its shore. A decade ago, it was hard to imagine this scene—and the thriving recreation economy that comes with it—was possible.”

Of course, it wasn’t JUST the beavers. Other federal water cleanup investments helped remove debris, break down old and malfunctioning dams, and place tighter regulations on agricultural grazing in the area, which depleted vital plant life.

But the experts know that the beavers, and their incredible engineering work, are the real MVPs.

An actual beaver dam on the now-thriving Price RiverPublic Domain

In other drying, struggling rivers in the area, researchers are bringing in beavers and even creating manmade beaver dams. They’re hoping that the critters will take over the job as the rivers get healthier.

Utah’s San Rafael River, which is in bleak condition, is a prime candidate. In one area of the river, a natural flood inspired a host of beavers to return to the area, and “riparian habitat along that stretch had increased by 230%, and it had the most diverse flow patterns of anywhere on the river,” according to KUER.

It’s hard to believe that beavers nearly went extinct during the heyday of the fur-trapping industry and continued to struggle as they were considered nuisances and pests. Now, they’re getting the respect they deserve as engineering marvels, and their populations have rebounded due to better PR and conservation programs.

It’s about dam time!

The good news in this story is that humans are finally letting nature work her miracles. Today’s JohnKu talks about nature. I hope you have a wonderful weekend.

Stewards by John W. Howell © 2025

If we would just look,

At the wonders of Nature . . .

We would be stewards.

 

 

58 thoughts on “Friday JohnKu -AKA – TGIF – Fri-Yay/Good News”

  4. So cute! How wonderful that they keep the beaver families together as they move them to a new location. But 46 lbs! I did not know they weighed that much. Wonderful work those little guys do.

    Liked by 2 people

  19. Your story is truly filled with hope and inspiration.
    It’s amazing to see how creatures like beavers can play such a vital role—reviving rivers, balancing ecosystems, and bringing new life to communities.
    Your words remind us that nature itself is the greatest engineer; we only need to give it the chance to work its miracles.
    This blog is not just informative but also a powerful call to embrace our responsibility as stewards of the earth.
    Deeply admire your writing!

    Liked by 2 people

  20. This is a great story of human insight and animals being left alone to bring balance to nature. Sad that not all the relocated beavers made it but for those who did, it shows how strong and resourceful they are. Thank you for sharing and cheers to Emma Doden and the team of researchers. And the beavers, of course! 🦫

    Liked by 2 people

  22. Just amazing, John. Thanks so much for sharing this story. I always feel emotionally hopeful after reading your good news. This one made me very happy – especially for the beavers!

    And just had to add – Twiggy and Tempeste look adorable in their AI outfits. 😀

    Like

Comments are closed.