| Upper Pecos Watershed Association

UPWA’S BEAVER REINTRODUCTION INITIATIVE: BUILDING A RESILIENT ECOSYSTEM

The Upper Pecos Watershed Association (UPWA) is committed to fostering environmental sustainability through community education and practical conservation efforts. One of the key initiatives we are exploring is the reintroduction of beavers into the Pecos Canyon. These industrious animals, often called “ecosystem engineers,” play a crucial role in enhancing the health and resiliency of wetlands, streams, and rivers. By building dams, beavers create habitats that improve water quality, reduce erosion, and help mitigate the impacts of climate change—benefits that are especially important in fire-prone areas like the Upper Pecos Watershed.

The Role of Beavers in Ecosystem Resiliency Beaver dams provide numerous environmental benefits, including:

Water Storage & Groundwater Recharge: Beaver dams slow water flow, creating ponds that store water and recharge groundwater. This helps maintain stream flow during dry periods, which is essential in arid climates.
Wetland Restoration: Dams create diverse wetland habitats that support a wide array of wildlife, from aquatic plants to fish and amphibians. These wetlands are critical for biodiversity and environmental health.
Wildfire Mitigation: Recent studies have shown that beaver-dammed streams recover more quickly from wildfires. The dams help stabilize water temperatures, capture sediment, and improve water quality, making downstream ecosystems more resilient after fire events.

Research Supporting Beaver Reintroduction UPWA contracted environmental expert Frances Schneider to compile a comprehensive bibliography and prepare educational materials on the potential benefits of beaver reintroduction. Schneider’s work includes an in-depth analysis of existing research, such as Erin Stewart’s 2020 thesis, Beavers Buffering Blazes. Stewart’s study assessed the effects of wildfires on stream ecosystems with and without beavers, demonstrating that beaver dams significantly mitigate wildfire damage. Her findings show that beaver-dammed areas had better water quality, greater species richness, and healthier aquatic communities compared to non-dammed areas in the same region.

Stewart’s research focused on the Methow River Watershed, an area impacted by frequent wildfires, where she found that beaver reintroduction can be a practical method for climate change adaptation. The study revealed that streams with beaver activity showed increased biodiversity and better post-fire recovery, highlighting the potential of beaver reintroduction as a long-term solution for areas like the Upper Pecos Watershed.

How Beaver Reintroduction Benefits the Pecos Canyon Reintroducing beavers into the Pecos Canyon could help restore balance to the ecosystem by:

Enhancing Water Quality: Beaver dams reduce suspended solids and nutrients in the water, helping to lower water temperatures and increase dissolved oxygen—both critical for fish and other aquatic species.
Increasing Biodiversity: Studies have shown that beaver-dammed streams support a higher number of species, including macroinvertebrates, amphibians, and fish, which depend on cool, clean water.
Improving Fire Resilience: In the event of a wildfire, streams with beaver dams are better equipped to maintain ecosystem functions, supporting wildlife and reducing post-fire erosion.

Community Involvement & Education UPWA is dedicated to engaging the community in understanding the ecological benefits of beavers and their potential role in enhancing watershed health. Our goal is to promote a balanced and informed dialogue about this important initiative. We invite everyone to explore our educational resources, including a downloadable trifold brochure [here], prepared by Frances Schneider, that offers a detailed look at the research and the long-term benefits of beaver reintroduction in the Pecos Canyon.

By supporting beaver reintroduction, we can take a significant step toward creating a healthier, more resilient watershed. Whether you’re a local resident, a conservation enthusiast, or simply curious about how beavers can help, we encourage you to join the conversation and explore how these remarkable animals can help protect the Pecos Canyon for future generations. Together, we can restore the natural balance and ensure the vitality of our watershed for years to come.

Our Mission

We are a community-based grass-roots organization with a common interest in protecting, maintaining and improving the health of both the watershed and the local economy and cultures. Additional purposes of the UPWA are:

To provide information about the watershed and serve as a focal point for watershed issues, providing a forum for discussion and development of strategies to meet recreational needs, honor historical uses, and improve the health of the watershed.
To seek additional funding to improve the condition and management of the Pecos watershed through the implementation of the Watershed Restorative Action Strategy, educational outreach and hands-on restoration projects.
To organize volunteer projects such as river clean-ups and field trips that engage stakeholders and anyone with an active interest in benefiting the watershed.
To engage in a process of improving the health of the river itself through monitoring issues of turbidity, excessive nutrient levels and temperatures.
To review projects with the aim of correcting problems and replicating successful actions in other parts of the watershed.

We cannot do this alone! We are a group of volunteers limited only by our numbers. You can do a lot or a little; no effort is too small. Volunteer for a UPWA project, become a stakeholder, make a tax-deductible donation, attend one of our meetings.

UPWA Goals

Protect and improve the health of the watershed
Address significant ecological, and environmental issues in the watershed
Preserve traditional and cultural uses and benefit the local economy

UPWA is the watershed’s coordinator for all the public and private entities with interests in the watershed; including the National Park Service, Forest Service, NM Department of the Environment, NM Department of Game and Fish, NM Departments of Parks, San Miguel County, Village of Pecos, advocacy groups as well as the numerous private landowners in the watershed.

UPWA receives funding from a mix of government and private grants, plus essential private donations, both in cash and in kind. Grants typically do not cover all of UPWA’s necessary administrative costs and we must rely on private donations to help cover maintaining our office in Pecos and part-time staff. Most UPWA grant funds must be matched with direct or in-kind donations. UPWA conducts events such as river cleanups, field days, and other volunteer projects and utilizes all volunteer hours for such events as match. Grants are typically “reimbursement only” funding which creates a need for “seed capitol” thus making fundraising even more critical for the organization.