|
Can
you
imagine
observing
wildlife
while
canoeing
along
the
whole
stretch
of
the
lower
Seine
River,
in
one
day?
How
about
doing
such
a
trip
every
autumn
almost
year
after
year.
Can
you
imagine
what
changes
you
might
see?
What
similarities?
Conducting
a
beaver
inventory
is
a
great
way
to
observe
such
changes
that
may
come
about
in
the
Seine
River
Environment.
My
most
recent
beaver
inventory
on
the
Seine
was
conducted
with
the
infamous
Don
Starkell.
You
may
know
of
Don
from
his
books
based
on
his
paddling
adventures
from
Winnipeg
to
the
Amazon
(Brazil!)
and
the
Arctic.
We
set
out
one
chilly
October
morning
canoing
our
way
from
the
Floodway
to
the
Red
River.
Our
goal
was
to
record
the
exact
location
of
every
beaver
dam,
lodge,
and
cache
(food
pile)
we
came
across.
What
we
discovered
was
a
river
full
of
beaver
activity!
We
found
about
20
caches
and
encountered
(dragging
the
canoe)
about
14
dams.
What
does
this
mean?
A
typical
beaver
colony
(one
colony
per
cache)
can
have
anywhere
between
four
to
seven
individuals
with
an
average
of
fiver
beaver
per
colony.
This
suggests
that
the
cache
count
of
20
means
a
potential
beaver
population
ranging
from
80
-
140
individuals.
If
we
are
to
use
the
average
o0f
five
beavers
per
colony,
our
estimate
would
be
100
individuals
however,
local
biologists
suggest
that
estimates
are
usually
lower
within
city
limits
with
an
average
of
four
individuals
per
colony.
Although
I
have
observed
these
small
colony
sizes,
living
on
the
Assiniboine
River,
I
have
also
observed
up
to
8
beaver
per
colony.
Nevertheless,
using
these
figures,
there
is
an
estimated
80
individuals
along
the
Seine
River.
How
does
this
compare
with
other
years?
From
1994
-
2000
it
appears
that
beaver
population
levels
were
steadily
rising,
however
these
recent
observations
indicate
a
slight
decline.
Is
this
just
an
aberration
or
are
population
levels
on
the
Seine
declining?
Future
inventories
will
provide
more
information.
There
are
many
factors
that
contribute
to
population
levels
like
weather,
predators,
optimal
habitat
(i.e
food
availability
and
water
levels)
and
human
activity
and
development.
On
the
Seine,
there
is
no
predation
(i.e
wolves
and
bears),
but
there
are
trappers
which
are
a
form
of
predation.
Also
influencing
population
levels
is
water
level
fluctuation
which
is
partially
due
to
beaver
activity
and
also
due
to
runoff,
size
of
channel
and
river
management
(Floodway
Siphon
flows
and
St.
Andrew's
Lock
and
Dam).
Beavers
are
an
integral
part
of
the
Seine
River
ecosystem.
Although
they
create
many
of
the
portaging
experiences,
they
also
create
impoundments
(for
their
beaver
lodges)
which
benefits
waterfowl,
aquatic
life,
other
wildlife,
vegetation
and
recreationists.
Small-scale
beaver
management
is
all
that
is
required
on
the
Seine
such
as
stucco
wiring
select
trees,
breaching
the
larger
dams
and/or
installing
water
control
devices
and
trapping
the
odd
beaver.
As
habitat
conditions
for
beaver
are
currently
good
(but
not
optimal
as
water
levels
are
low,
beaver
population
levels
may
continue
to
maintain
or
slightly
decrease.
The
beaver
inventory
will
continue
this
fall
(2003)
with
Don
Starkell.
What
will
be
the
state
of
things
for
beavers
and
the
Seine
this
year?
CONSTANCE
MENZIES
holds
a
masters
degree
in
Natural
Resources
Management
(Practicum:
Cooperative
Beaver
Management
in
the
Riding
Mountain
Biosphere
Reserve).
She
was
a
Riparian
Areas
Coordinator
for
the
City
of
Winnipeg
when
she
conducted
these
inventories.
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