For years, authorities debated building a barrier to protect the Klabava River, south of Prague, from sediment and acidic water spilling from nearby ponds. A dam would have solved the problem, but the project stalled due to financial and bureaucratic problems since 2018. Then, in a surprising twist, beavers took matters into their own paws — completing the job almost overnight.

“The beavers have done exactly what we had planned in tedious bureaucracy. And they did it for free,” said Bohumil Fišer, head of the Administration for Protected Areas of the Czech Hills.

Ecological Heroes

Beavers are among nature’s most skilled engineers. They can construct massive dams using branches, mud, and stones to slow down or redirect the flow of water. These structures create ponds that provide them with protection from predators and easy access to food. By altering their environment, beavers help create wetlands that support a rich diversity of plant and animal life. Their dams can also improve water quality, reduce erosion, and even mitigate the effects of droughts and floods.

Because of these benefits, beavers are often hailed as ecological heroes — most species in their habitat benefit from their work. In this case, the beaver family moved into an area where conservationists and authorities wanted to build small dams to flood the area and turn it into a wetland.

The beavers have built at least four dams and they could not have chosen their location better. They built them on a bypass gully, originally excavated by soldiers to drain a former military base. This drainage system had a negative environmental impact, but the beaver-built dams helped to restore the area into a thriving wetland.

Natural recovery

Bohumil Fišer, head of the Brdy Protected Landscape Area from the Nature Conservation Agency of the Czech Republic says: “Nature took its course and the beavers created the necessary biotope conditions practically overnight.” Fišer said the estimated savings for Czech authorities are around $1.2 million. As a bonus, this will turn the area into a nature-rich spot with potential for tourism south of the capital, Prague.

This isn’t the first time beavers have caused such surprises. In England, a group of beavers that appeared mysteriously was allowed to stay in the wild after they were proven to provide quantifiable environmental benefits. Now, the UK is looking to establish several beaver rewilding projects.

The beaver population in the Czech Republic is now estimated at around 15,000 animals. Despite their good work, beavers also have their critics: farmers who sometimes complain about the felling of trees. But in this case, the site is far from any farmland.

“We don’t expect any conflict with the beaver in the next 10 years,” Fišer says.