Wild beavers could return to Sheffield to help reduce flooding after £97K grant is awarded

Wild beavers could be making a comeback in Sheffield to help reduce the risk of flooding and improve the water quality.

Sheffield City Council has been awarded £96,725 to look at the possibility of reintroducing Eurasian beavers, a native species which was hunted to extinction in around the 16th century, to Sheffield and surrounding areas.

It will now work with neighbouring local authorities and agencies such as Natural England and The Environment Agency, using the money from the Yorkshire Regional Flood & Coastal Committee, to look at the benefits beavers could bring by building dams in the area. Those potential benefits include improving the water quality, reducing the risk of flooding and wildfires, and creating habitats where other species, from dragonflies to water voles and willow tits, can flourish.

Beavers, which are Europe's largest rodents, have already been successfully reintroduced in other parts of England and Scotland, including the Willington Wetlands Nature Reserve in Derbyshire, and Cropton Forest in North Yorkshire.

How could beavers' dams help the environment in Sheffield?

The dams they build can help store large volumes of water, slowing the flow downstream during heavy rainfall and providing vital water reserves during droughts, as well as acting as natural fire breaks during hot summers.

Initial feasibility works, involving Sheffield & Rotherham Wildlife Trust and experts at the University of Exeter and Derek Gow Associates, have already looked at whether some of Sheffield’s upland areas are suitable for beavers. The next phase will include further ecological study, an engagement programme, and recommendations.

Councillor Richard Williams, chair of Sheffield City Council's Communities, Parks and Leisure Policy Committee, said: "We have declared both a ‘nature’ and a ‘climate’ emergency in Sheffield and this incredible mammal has some special skills which could play a vital part in tackling these crises at the same time.

"It is crucial that we look at schemes that support our ambitions to tackle the environmental crises we face. We’ve seen the results of beaver introduction in other areas of the UK and the evidence shows how their natural skills can support our environment, our wildlife, and communities."

Sheffield Green councillor Douglas Johnson welcomed the move, saying: "The study gives us the opportunity to examine the issues close to a major city, where thousands of homes and businesses are at risk of flooding.”