Beaver activities on the Rodau and Bieber rivers: clear strategies required to deal with them

The Rodau-Bieber municipal working group (KAG) is an association of the towns of Dietzenbach, Dreieich, Heusenstamm, Mühlheim, Obertshausen, Offenbach, Rödermark and Rodgau. Its task is the sustainable development of the Rodau and Bieber water system. The aim is to harmonize ecological, water management and infrastructural interests. The settlement of wild animals, such as the beaver, is desired and should be preserved. In populated areas and in the vicinity of critical infrastructure, the rodent's activities lead to conflicts.

For this reason, KAG Rodau-Bieber has written to the Hessian Ministry of Agriculture and the Environment, Viticulture, Forestry, Hunting and Homeland (HMLU). The letter highlights the increasing challenges posed by beaver activity in the Rodau-Bieber water system and calls for concrete solutions for dealing with beavers in densely populated areas. "The KAG expressly welcomes the return of the beaver to the region, as its activity has numerous positive effects on the watercourse and its floodplain. Beaver dams promote biodiversity by creating new habitats for plants and animals. At the same time, they contribute to flood protection through the natural regulation of watercourses and support groundwater recharge, which is particularly important in times of increasing drought. These ecological benefits make a significant contribution to environmental protection, in particular to strengthening biodiversity and the sustainable renaturation of watercourses," says the Chairwoman of the KAG Rodau Bieber, Mayor Sabine Groß.

While beaver dams improve flood protection in many cases through the temporary retention of water masses, they can increase local flooding risks in urban areas. This occurs when retention volumes are reduced or water is diverted to surrounding, unsuitable areas.

Accumulated water can impair the function of critical infrastructure such as sewage treatment plants or the sewage system and promote the infiltration of pollutants into the groundwater. The latter is particularly critical in drinking water protection zones.

"This requires pragmatic solutions and clear regulations that do justice to the special challenges in our conurbation," says Groß.

In addition to constructive communication with the beaver managers of the state of Hesse, the KAG Rodau-Bieber is calling for clear legal guidelines and a state-wide strategy in order to be able to deal with beavers in conurbations in a legally secure and efficient manner. Specifically, the mayors of the KAG members Dr. Dieter Lang (Dietzenbach), René Bacher (First City Councillor, Dietzenbach), Martin Burlon (Dreieich), Steffen Ball (Heusenstamm), Dr. Alexander Krey (Mühlheim), Manuel Friedrich (Obertshausen), Jörg Rotter (Rödermark), Max Breitenbach (Rodgau) and Sabine Groß (Offenbach am Main) are proposing this:

• Water and species protection: in principle, beavers should renaturalize bodies of water and thus promote local biodiversity.
• Protection of sensitive areas: In drinking water protection zones and critical infrastructure, legal foundations should be created to enable prompt measures such as the deterrence of beavers if no milder measures are possible.
• Practical approaches: In addition to deterrence, relocation to near-natural and less sensitive areas - as successfully implemented in other federal states - could also be consistently applied in Hesse as a last resort. The interests of agriculture must also be taken into account.

"The KAG Rodau-Bieber is hoping for the support of the HMLU to bring people and nature in our region into harmony. Only with a clear and uniform strategy can the ecological potential of the beaver be used sensibly and conflicts minimized," concluded the members of the KAG.