Historical Hydrology of the North American Beaver

Students will take a step back to the 1820s in Southeast Idaho and gain an appreciation for the historical role beaver trapping played in dramatically changing the western landscape from one of lush, wide river valleys to narrow, incised streams we see in our region today.  Next, students will learn the fundamentals of hydrology as it relates to geohydrology and water storage.   Students will learn how to estimate the flow of a stream and why it is important to be able to estimate stream flow (field trip).  Finally, we will place the two together and develop an appreciation of how this diminutive rodent fills an important ecological niche and also may be the most cost-effective means for mitigating drought in a global climate change world.