Methow Watershed Beaver Reintroduction

The Methow Salmon Recovery Foundation (MSRF) partnered with the U.S. Forest Service and WA Department of Fish and Wildlife to trap conflict beavers in the Methow Valley agricultural lands and reintroduce them into headwater tributaries. The project achieved its overall goal by placing 92 beavers throughout the basin and treating 12.8 miles of stream. This treatment improves water quality, water availability, and alters flow and temperature timing to better match returning salmon runs.

The primary habitat restored has been freshwater wetland/riparian floodplains and upper tributary reaches. The Methow basin provides significant spawning and rearing areas for ESA-listed (endangered) Upper Columbia River (UCR) spring Chinook salmon, spawning and rearing habitat for ESA-listed (threatened) UCR steelhead and Columbia River bull trout, and also supports Pacific lamprey, cutthroat trout, and coho salmon.

Outdoor recreation was not affected by this project. SRFB funding for this project was used for crew salaries, materials, equipment and monitoring. We used grant funds awarded by SRFB as anchor funds to complete the final four years of the MBP Temperature Study. While the SRFB funds awarded only met a portion of the four years of project need, they were used to leverage additional funding necessary for the final years.

To reintroduce Beavers to headwater areas to improve cool water storage, thus benefitting ESA-listed Chinook salmon, steelhead and bull trout.