The Resurgence of Beavers Causes Chaos Among Farmers in Lower Saxony
Farmers face predicament due to beaver's resurgence - Farmers faced upheaval due to beaver's comeback
Hey there! This modern spin discusses the comeback of beavers in Lower Saxony and the troubles it stirs up for farmers. A farmer named Hans-Heinrich Schnehage from Pattensen, south of Hannover, has faced some issues with certain fields being permanently submerged due to the beavers' activity.
The Agriculture Association in Lower Saxony has requested a nationwide management plan for beavers, which includes payouts for damaged farms. Sonja Markgraf, spokesperson for Landvolk Lower Saxony, mentioned the urgency of this matter: "We want a quicker resolution on beaver management!"
Christian Meyer, Lower Saxony's Environmental Minister, has promised a beaver plan for the second half of 2025. The plan will involve beaver experts throughout the state. Meyer acknowledges the positive effects beavers have on the water balance but does not overlook the problems they bring.
Beavers were all but extinct in Lower Saxony for nearly 200 years. In 2005, the first beaver was spotted near Hannover, according to NABU Lower Saxony. By 2012, the first fields and meadows began flooding due to the beavers. In 2019, 229 beaver territories were found, with an estimated population of 430 to 500 individuals. The current guesstimate from the Ministry of the Environment in Hannover is between 500 and 1,000 animals. A count is planned for the end of this year.
Beavers tend to make their homes in the Biosphere Reserve Elbtalaue, along the Elbe, Leine, Aller-Oker-Drömling, and Emsland regions.
Schnehage, the affected farmer, now has a replacement farming area, thanks to Hannover. His new field houses water buffaloes. "I'm okay with the beaver," says Schnehage, "but a country-wide solution needs to be found for farmers, cities, companies, and water systems alike."
Beavers contribute positively to the natural environment as builders of waterways, but they can pose a threat to dike safety in some areas, like Oldenburg. Hence, the Lower Saxony State Office for Water Management, Coastal and Nature Conservation (LNWKN) stepped in this year and the previous year.
This year, parts of the Hunte river in Oldenburg will see a lower floodwater level to observe the beaver and nutria constructions. In addition, softwood was removed in those sections to deter beavers by reducing the food supply.
Unlike the protected beavers, nutrias and muskrats can be hunted, with nearly 45,000 nutrias having been hunted in the hunting year 2023/2024. That's an increase of nearly 30 percent from the year before.
- Lower Saxony
- Hannover
- Advance
- Pattensen
- Christian Meyer
- BMU
[1] Soft Management Techniques for Beaver Control: Protecting Trees, Managing Dams, and Securing Riverbanks [Online]. (n.d.). [Accessed on October 18, 2023]. Available: https://www.nature.nps.gov/beavers/control/soft-management.cfm
[2] Lautenschlager, T., Göpel, K., Walder, S. G., & Rickenmann, D. (2021). Effects of beaver dams on water chemistry and aquatic ecology in a temperate, highly-regulated river segment. Ecohydrology, 14(4), e2264. https://doi.org/10.1002/eco.2264
- Christian Meyer, Lower Saxony's Environmental Minister, has acknowledged the positive impact of beavers on the water balance in the environment, but he also recognizes the problems they bring, such as potential threats to dike safety and farm damage.
- In the face of the resurgence of beavers in Lower Saxony, Sonja Markgraf, spokesperson for Landvolk Lower Saxony, has called for a quicker resolution on beaver management, emphasizing the urgency of finding a nationwide management plan for beavers in order to protect farmers' lands.
- To address the challenges presented by beavers in the environment, the Agriculture Association in Lower Saxony has requested a nationwide management plan that includes payouts for damaged farms and involvement of beaver experts throughout the state. A proposed plan is expected in the second half of 2025.
