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20338 - 65 Avenue
Langley, BC
V2Y 3J1

604.534.3211
info@tol.ca

Beavers

Biology and Behaviour

Habitat and Diet

Benefits of Beavers

Negative Features

Managing Beavers

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Langley is a beaver's haven. Our streams and wetlands are bordered by deciduous trees and shrubs which provide ideal habitat.

These resident "engineers" construct dams to increase their aquatic space. This flooding can cause grief to us humans, but beavers do perform useful services too. They stabilize stream flows on major rivers such as the Salmon and Nicomekl, create and maintain wetland habitats for waterfowl and other wildlife; prevent streambed erosion and increase retention of sediment and organic matter.

Biology and Behaviour

The beaver is a semi-aquatic mammal and the largest native rodent in North America. Most adults weigh between 35 to 50 pounds with some reaching 70 to 100 pounds. While traveling on land a beaver is quite slow but in the water the beaver is a strong swimmer and can reach speeds near 7km per hour.

The life span of a beaver is 5 to 10 years, with some living up to 20 years.

Tail - The beaver's tail has important uses both in the water and on land. The tail of a large beaver may be 30cm long, up to 18cm wide, and 4cm thick. In the water, the tail acts as a rudder when swimming and they will also slap their tail on the surface of the water as a danger warning others beavers. On land, the beaver uses the tail for sitting or standing upright.

Feet - The hind feet of a beaver are very large, with five long blunt-clawed toes that are fully webbed, for swimming. Its forepaws are small, without webs, and the toes end in long sharp claws suited to digging. These paws are much like hands that allow the beaver to hold and carry sticks, stones, mud, etc.

Teeth - Its teeth are very long, strong, grow continuously and are hardened with a dark orange enamel on the forward face. The upper and lower incisors are ground against each other, the outer tips of these teeth are always chisel-sharp. The beavers have inner lips behind their incisors that allow them to chew food without getting a mouthful of water.

Senses - Beavers have excellent senses of hearing and smell. Their eyes on the other hand are less developed. When underwater beavers have a protective transparent membrane that covers their eyes, and flaps that close to keep water out of their nostrils and ears.

Fur - The beaver fur consists of short fine hairs for warmth and longer hairs for waterproofing. They need to groom their fur daily to keep it waterproof.

In spring, beavers are known to cut down trees for food and to repair their dams from any damage that may have occurred over the winter period. In the summer little trees are cut down as the beaver feeds more on fresh grasses. Autumn, is a period of extensive "logging" for beavers.

Unlike a bear, the beaver does not hibernate and therefore must have an adequate supply of food for the winter months. Since their pond may freeze over for several months during the winter they will not be able to cut down new trees, so during autumn extensive tree cutting is done. These trees are cut into manageable pieces and then stored under water. When the pond freezes over the beaver can swim from its lodge under the ice to the winter food cache. If the beaver does not cut and store enough branches in autumn, the beaver will starve in their own lodges.

Habitat and Diet

Beavers are herbivores, that eat mostly woody plants. They will eat fresh leaves, twigs, stems, and bark. Beavers will chew on any type of tree but they prefer alder, aspen, birch, cottonwood, maple, poplar and willow. Other types of aquatic foods include cattails, water lilies, sedges and rushes. They do not eat fish or any other animals.

Beavers are very social animals that live in colonies. Young beavers are called kits and beavers will have 2 to 4 kits each year. Beavers are nocturnal, which means that they are most active at night.

Benefits of Beavers

Beaver play an important role in our ecosystem by creating wetland habitat for many animals, birds and insects.

Flood Control: Beaver dams act as excellent flood control devices for properties downstream of the dams. This is because the dams impound water and control heavy spring and storm runoff.

Habitat Enhancement: Beaver dams are excellent habitat for waterfowl, amphibians, and a wide variety of furbearers. Beaver ponds increase the surface area of water and as a result enhance the overall riparian habitat development and vegetation growth.

Drought Control: Since beaver dams hold water and release it at a controlled rate, they also act as drought control devices, lessening the impact of low water conditions to downstream users.

Water Quality: Beaver dams act as natural water filtration devices. If you observe a beaver dam you will notice that there may be several feet of sediment on its upstream side and virtually none on the downstream side.

Negative Features

Beaver become a nuisance when they interfere with our use of the land or create hazardous conditions.

Tree Cutting: Beavers cut trees for materials to build dams and lodges and for food.

Flooding: When a beaver builds a dam it does not take into account whose property will be flooded. As a result, beaver dams often cause water to be ponded on private property upstream of the dam.

Clogged Culverts: Drainage ditches and culverts provide ideal spots for beavers to build dams. When beavers clog road culvert pipes and drainage ditches, they can cause a variety of problems such as road and property flooding.

Diseases: Giardiasis is a disease caused by a microscopic parasite found in the excrement of infected birds and mammals, including beaver. Beaver often get the blame for the spread of the disease because they are the most obvious carrier in water contaminated with the parasite.

Managing Beavers

Legal Requirements

Acts and Regulations exist at both the provincial and federal levels to protect fish and wildlife species and their habitats; as well as protecting water quality and quantity. Local governments may also have local bylaws that deal with works in and around water.

To disturb, molest, or destroy a beaver den, house, or dam is an offence under Section 9 of the provincial Wildlife Act unless you are a trapper, licensed under said Act. Alteration or removal of a dam is permitted under the Wildlife Act "to provide irrigation or drainage under lawful authority for the protection of property" and under the provincial Water Act "for drainage purposes with specific restrictions". To remove a beaver dam, one must have the permission of the landowner and notify the BC Ministry of Environment (MoE) at least 45 days in advance of the removal project.

The federal Fisheries Act regulates fish and fish habitat in Canada. Section 35 of the Act prohibits the "harmful alteration, disruption, or destruction of fish habitat" (HADD) unless authorized by Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO). If works may result in a HADD, DFO must be contacted in order to obtain an authorization prior to the commencement of works.

Township of Langley"s Approach

According to Township policies #05-714 Work on Private Property and #05-745 Control of Nuisance Animals (amended by Council in 2002) staff will only undertake beaver management related works on Township property.

Township property: simple parcels of land and/or improvements as well as roads, right-of-ways, or works owned or operated by the Township including those held in trust by the Township.

When a problem beaver dam is identified within Township property, staff only considers complete removal of the dam or other structures if it is deemed an emergency, and after all other management tools and options have been reviewed. To remove a beaver dam on a fisheries related watercourse, the Township follows the MoE "Standards and Best Practices for Instream Works" document. This involves the Township retaining a private environmental consultant, submitting notifications to both MoE and DFO.

In the event that removal of the beaver(s) is deemed necessary (i.e. an immediate threat to public safety), beaver trapping is undertaken by a licensed trapper. All trapping is conducted in accordance with local, provincial, and federal regulations. However in all instances, the Township tries to work with area landowners and residents to accept a certain level of flooding caused by beavers. Therefore reducing the need to conduct dam removals, habitat alterations, and trapping.

Note: All beaver dam management and/or beaver removal works on private lands are the responsibility of the property owner.

Some of the common beaver and beaver dam management methods are:

Installing fences and/or barriers around culverts, drains, structures, and clusters of trees/shrubs to keep beavers away.
Wrapping high-gauge wire mesh around individual tree trunks to prevent beavers from "working" on them.
Installing a beaver pond leveller or other device in order to maintain a desired water level in the pond and surrounding watercourse (must be done under DFO and MOE approval/notification).
Using low-voltage electric fencing to isolate areas or stands of vegetation from the beavers.
Removing beaver dam. However, the beaver will work hard to restore the dam (must be done under DFO and MOE approval/notification).

For information regarding beaver and beaver dam management on private lands, download the "Beaver Management Info - Private Lands" pdf document.

For information regarding the Township of Langley's policy and approach on beaver management, download the "Beaver Management Approach" pdf document.

For facts and ideas on beaver and beaver dam management, download the "FACT SHEET - Beaver Management" pdf document.

Last Updated on Wednesday, 21 October 2009 16:10