Reintroduction of beavers and the use of beaver mimicry are techniques increasingly being employed to accomplish stream, wetland, and floodplain restoration. By constructing dams that impound water and retain sediment, beaver (or beaver biomimicry projects) substantially alter the physical, chemical, and biological characteristics of the surrounding river ecosystem. These restored systems create new, more complex habitat in degraded systems and provide greater benefits to plants, fish, and wildlife. Learn more about different types of beaver-related restoration techniques.
Why Undertake Beaver-related Restoration Work?
A growing body of research and practice is demonstrating that when properly cited and resourced, beaver-related restoration activities can produce many benefits, including attenuation of flow, restoring incised stream ecosystems, providing and improving habitat for endangered species, improving riparian evapotranspiration in arid landscapes and restoring more natural hydrology with diverse and rich ecosystem services. Learn more about the benefits of this work.