Beavers used to be a keystone species in the rivers of southeastern Arizona but were extirpated by trapping over 100 years ago. In an effort to revive the species locally and to regain the ecosystem services provided by beaver, the Bureau of Land Management reintroduced the species to the San Pedro River. Building off previous monitoring efforts, Watershed Management Group and partners carried out bi-national beaver surveys along the San Pedro River in 2021 and 2022.
Using a community-science collaboration, WMG and partners collected evidence of beavers in the watershed, including dams, tracks, and beaver chews. In spring 2024, WMG conducted the third and most recent annual bi-national beaver survey on the San Pedro River. The data from the Arizona portion resulted in an estimated population in 2024 of approximately 11-14 beavers along the San Pedro River in the U.S. This is slightly down from the 2022 estimate of 13-17 beavers on the same stretch of river. As of the time of writing, the Sonora, Mexico portion of the survey has been postponed and may be attempted later in 2024.