Extract from the book – 40 Strange Groups
This society believes that beavers should be introduced into all areas of the UK where streams and brooks regularly overflow their banks. They cite examples in the south west of England, where the recent introduction of beavers had led to less flooding during the rainy winters. Beavers help in three key areas: water storage, flood attenuation and water quality. In one area, beavers built 10 dams along a 150-metre stretch of water and have increased water storage capacity, evened out the flow of water and improved the quality of the water that emerges from the dams. A small stream that, before, would only have held a few hundred litres, can now hold 65,000 litres.
The dams have contained sudden rainfall, slowly releasing it along a “staircase” of dams: in this way they prevent the inundation that occurs when water is simply channelled downstream, while also providing a resource in times of drought. 20 hectares of intensively managed grassland feed into the dams – bringing manure, slurry, and non-organic fertiliser.
Julian Worker Fiction Writing 