Most people associate beavers with alpine high country forests, but they are just as important in our Northwest Colorado desert landscape and never more so than now.

Local data show that northwest slope rivers have lost nearly 20% of their flows over the past 20 years, making it more important than ever to move fast to protect our watershed.

Our 4M Ranch, a regenerative ranch in Meeker, grazes cattle similarly to how the bison did, concentrating cows and moving them frequently to rest the ground. This method avoids the need for expensive fertilizer and weed related chemicals, resulting in significant improvements in pasture productivity, herd health and overall profitability. 

Using nature-based solutions, including beneficial insects that target non-native plants like tamarisk and leafy spurge, along with putting beavers to work, helps restore natural riparian areas and keep water on the landscape longer.

Beavers nearly disappeared from Colorado in the early 1800s after being trapped almost to extinction. Today, they are making a strong comeback. Colorado is among several states leading efforts to reintroduce this 60-pound rodent and is finalizing a Beaver Restoration Plan to help revitalize populations statewide.

Beavers are a “keystone” species, meaning they can reshape ecosystems in ways that benefit many other animals. They are especially effective at restoring historic riparian areas and, once established, continue this work by maintaining and expanding their dams and the underground storage of water.

Beaver dams serve many purposes, including substantial water storage, groundwater recharge, wetland habitat for wildlife and birds, filtration of sediment and minerals, increased vegetation for wildlife and livestock, and critical protection for wildlife as natural firebreaks during wildfires.

Grazing management and beaver restoration go hand in hand in increasing native grasses and improving soil moisture.

Beavers are among the most effective water managers we have, and they work for free. Their dams spread water across valley bottoms instead of allowing it to rush away in muddy floods. This water soaks into the soil, raises the water table and keeps streams flowing longer into the dry season. In many places we’ve seen areas that were once dusty, deeply incised channels turning green again, with sedges, willows and wet meadows returning where bare ground once dominated.

Of course, beavers cannot do this alone without proper cattle management. When managed correctly, streambanks stabilize, vegetation recovers, and both wildlife and livestock benefit. On public lands, this work requires cooperation. BLM managers, permittees and conservation groups may not always agree on everything, but water is common ground.

As ranchers, our job is to leave this land in better shape and preserve it for future generations. In a hotter, drier future, that means rebuilding natural water storage in the soil and flood plains. Beavers and managed grazing are tools that fit this landscape. They do not fight the desert — they help it function. When done correctly, these practices help keep working landscapes alive for the next generation.

Remember to support your local farmers and ranchers, and one way to do that is to shop at the Community Agriculture Alliance/Yampa Valley Foods in Steamboat Springs.