Key Points
- USask researchers study beavers’ impact on hydrology and ecosystems in Alberta’s Sibbald Valley.
- Researchers mitigated human-beaver conflicts by constructing protective fencing near campsites.
- Undergraduate projects included soil water retention studies and 3D pond modeling.
- A citizen-science initiative and youth education program aims to track beaver activity and foster ecological learning.
In Alberta’s Sibbald Valley, researchers from the University of Saskatchewan (USask) investigate how beavers and their dams influence hydrology and ecosystem health. Working with the University of Calgary’s Biogeoscience Institute, the team uses the Barrier Lake Field Station for summer fieldwork, focusing on real-time environmental changes. This rare opportunity allowed researchers to observe landscape transformations as they occurred.
The team also addressed a human-beaver conflict at their main site near Sibbald Lake, where beaver activity caused flooding at a nearby camp. Students built and repaired fencing to prevent further issues, fostering collaboration between researchers, beavers, and local communities.
Emily Ireland, a master’s student in USask’s Ecohydrology Lab, studied how water moves through beaver ponds and the effects of forestry on this hydrology. She used wells equipped with data loggers to measure groundwater and surface water depth, pressure, and conductivity, providing insights into water sources. By mapping pond volumes using mathematical models, she pieced together the flow and storage of water in the system. Ireland also examined how clear-cut logging affects water speed and volume entering the ponds.
Undergraduate assistants contributed to related projects. Davis Ireland compared water retention in soils from active, drained, and forested areas, while Julia Howell Bourner mapped pond edges with differential GPS to create 3D models. These studies support a citizen science initiative to track beaver activity yearly.
The research team collaborates with UCalgary’s Biogeoscience Institute and experiential learning groups to engage high school students in the Castor Tracker program. By blending Western science and Indigenous knowledge, students explore ecosystem dynamics and contribute to ongoing studies of beavers’ ecological roles.
