This year marks the 10th anniversary of the official release of beavers into the River Otter in Devon – the first beavers to live in the wild in England after a 400-year absence. Devon is the only English county with thriving beaver populations on several rivers.

The original River Otter population has now expanded into neighbouring river catchments and could number over 150 animals, and yet the East Devon beavers are still the only ‘legal’ beavers living in the wild in England, as outside the Otter valley beavers can only be released into enclosures. In contrast, in Scotland, beavers can be released under licence into the countryside and there are thought to be about 1,500 beavers.

A five-year research programme conducted by the University of Exeter found that the River Otter beavers bring multiple benefits and are well accepted by local people. Beaver dams slow the water flow during floods and beaver wetlands store ten times more water in droughts. The dams also filter river water improving water quality, and beavers create deep pools and shallow streams that increase numbers of fish and amphibians.

Despite all the evidence from the Devon beaver population that the animals are beneficial in preventing flooding, alleviating drought, improving water quality and increasing biodiversity, the Government has given no indication of when it will legalise the release of beavers under licence outside of enclosures as wild living animals in England. Although beavers that manage to escape or that are illegally released are still protected by law as native species, leaving the beaver in legal limbo.

Conservation groups are frustrated that there has been so little progress on releasing beavers into other parts of the country. The National Trust has plans to restore areas of wetland and improve biodiversity by releasing beavers from enclosures into the wild on the Holnicote estate on Exmoor and the Purbeck Heaths in Dorset.

The Devon Wildlife Trust, which oversaw the River Otter release, has developed expertise in advising landowners and farmers on how to prepare for and manage the impacts of beavers. It recommends planting a river corridor of native trees and shrubs such as aspen and willow. This is good practice anyway to reduce agricultural chemical run-off into rivers and provide cover for a range of wildlife.

Beavers are our largest native rodent and are restorers of lost habitat. They are herbivores, eating plants and grasses in summer and woody plants in winter. The entrances to their lodges are underwater, and family groups of beavers live inside a chamber above the waterline. These remarkable mammals can stay underwater for up to 15 minutes.

We need this native species to be back in the wild across England to help bring our rivers back to life and create spaces for other wildlife. Well managed beaver populations provide a host of benefits, but confined to enclosures they cannot benefit communities or support nature.