Increased Beaver (genus Castor) Activity Resulting in Localized Flooding

Observation by Jennifer Saldana:

After the 2013 floods in Calgary, considerable pathway repair and flood mitigation work was done in Fish Creek Provincial Park to prevent future damage to the pathway system and infrastructure. Since that time, the pathways have remained above water, until recently. While running in Fish Creek, I observed that beaver damming near Bebo Grove has increased the water level of the wetland and this water has reached and partially covers the pathway. When searching for answers as to why this localized flooding is going unmitigated, I found that Fish Creek Provincial Park has adopted a new Beaver Management Plan (managed by the Friends of Fish Creek) to allow beavers to shape the landscape and provide associated ecosystem service benefits.