DAM BUILD BY BEAVER FAMILY SAVE CZECH REPUBLIC OFFICIALS $1.2M IN CONSTRUCTION COSTS
The Czech government had been planning to construct a new dam in the Brdy region for seven years. Despite successfully obtaining the required funding, the project was put on hold because authorities had trouble obtaining building licenses. Before beavers took matters into their own hands, efforts came to a complete standstill.
Projects can be delayed by bureaucracy, which frequently requests approval for funds, permits, and planning. An unexpected source got across this red rope in the Czech Republic.
When officials awoke one January morning, they found that eight beavers had finished building the dam. These beavers not only constructed the dam in nearly the exact locations where humans had initially intended to do so, but they also successfully saved Czech leadership 30 million korunas, or roughly $1.2 million. “[Beavers] built the dams without any project documentation and for free,” says Bohumil Fišer, Brdy’s Protected Land Administration (PLA) chief.
The Brdy dam was intended to restore the area to its natural state, decades after the Czech military built a bypass gully that drained its surroundings. Since the beavers constructed the dam, officials have already noticed significant environmental improvements.
“We are already seeing the emergence of a small pond and surrounding wetland there,” the PLA says in a statement.
Because they are semi-aquatic rodents, beavers build dams out of wood, mud, and pebbles for safety and food. Throughout their ecosystems, these wetlands, often known as "beaver ponds," perform a variety of tasks, such as enhancing habitats, enhancing water retention, and managing floods and droughts. Indeed, Czech authorities have already reported the return of uncommon species, such as native amphibians and stone crayfish, to the region.
Beaver wetlands are a haven for a variety of flora and fauna. According to the PLA, these ecosystems are stable and add to the richness of our landscape. "Beavers are restoring the natural beauty of the human-altered landscape." Beavers don't need permissions like people do, and they ultimately completed the task, much to the relief and, most importantly, appreciation of the Czech Republic.
