Beavers Improve Water Quality

Midwest rivers are impaired for a variety of reasons, including sedimentation, phosphorus, nitrogen, atrazine, and fecal coliform. Our industrialized society has placed huge demands on our rivers in the form of recreational activities, stormwater and wastewater discharge, agricultural runoff, concentrated animal feeding operations, and other point source and nonpoint source discharges. Simply put, our rivers can't keep up with the demands being placed on them. Wider riparian corridors, with beaver wetlands and their riparian vegetation, would help to filter out these pollutants and sediment.

Wetlands contribute to water purification through a combination of physical, chemical, and biological processes. These processes work together in wetland ecosystems to remove contaminants, retain nutrients, and filter sediments, resulting in cleaner and healthier water.

​​

• Physical processes in wetlands, such as sedimentation and filtration, play a keyrole in water purification. As water flows through wetlands, sediments and suspended particles settle out, resulting in cleaner water. Wetland vegetation also acts as a physical barrier, trapping floating debris and pollutants.

• ​Chemical processes in wetlands involve the transformation and degradation of contaminants through natural chemical reactions. These reactions can neutralize toxins, break down organic matter, and remove excess nutrients, improving water quality.

• ​Biological processes rely on the actions of microorganisms, plants, and animals to remove contaminants from water. The microbial activity in wetland soils helps break down pollutants, while plants absorb and store nutrients, preventing their release into water bodies.