Learn About Beavers

Beaver Facts

Beavers

Native
3-4 ft long
40-70 lbs

Characterized by black whiskers, and a broad, flat, and hairless tail

Muskrats

Native
Up to 1 ft long
2-5 lbs

Characterized by fine black whiskers and a long skinny tail with flat sides

Nutria

Invasive
Up to 2ft long with 1 ft tail
10-20lbs

Characterized by white whiskers, white muzzles and a rounded tail with coarse hair

All About Beavers!

The North American Beaver (Castor canadensis) is one of the few species that deliberately and profoundly alters its environment for its own benefit.
Beavers often construct dams to slow the flow of water and create open-water habitat.
These pools then provide a safe place for beavers to build their home lodges and access their favorite food – the inner bark layer of certain species of trees, including willow, alder, and cottonwood.
The ponds and wetlands created behind beaver dams offer more than just a safe place for beavers to live; they provide a vast array of benefits to the surrounding landscape and their resident plant and wildlife communities.

Why Are Beavers Important?

Water Quality
Habitat Creation
Climate and Wildlife Protection

In the summer, beaver ponds keep water in the rivers and on the landscape for longer periods of time by storing rainfall and snowmelt, then gradually releasing it downstream.

During the rain and snowmelt seasons, beaver dams and ponds reduce peak flows and mitigate the effects of flooding downstream.

During winter, the slower waters behind beaver dams provide refuge for fish and other aquatic life, preventing them from being swept downstream by strong currents.

Beavers make an impact on…

Habitat Health

Improve fish and wildlife habitat for a variety of sensitive species especially salmon and steelhead by creating a rearing habitats in beaver dam ponds
Beaver habitats also greatly enhance bird and wildlife diversity (diversity hotspots), by providing habitat and abundant food resources

Human Resilience

Improved climate adaptation and resilience of watershed ecosystems and human communities as a result of water retention and improved summer base flows

Water Quality & Quantity

Increased water retention improves the quality and quantity of water resources
Flooding recharges groundwater through hyporheic exchange
Raising the water table and increased stream complexity enhances plant diversity
Water quality improves because of cold sub-surface releases during warm summer months (benefit to aquatic organisms) and retention of fine sediment

Wildlife Ecosystems

Wood and sediment buried in beaver ponds and marshes act as a carbon sink and may play a role in preventing this greenhouse gas from contributing to climate change.
Beaver ponds and wetlands also may provide refuge for wildlife during wildfire and help increase the resilience of the surrounding land to wildfire damage.

Water Quality

Beaver dams and their ponds can filter toxins and pollutants from the water. The slower-moving waters behind a beaver dam allows sediment to build up at the bottom of the pond, improving water quality. When the beavers eventually move on and the dam breaks down, the water recedes, leaving a lot of nutrient-rich soil behind.

Habitat Creation

Beaver ponds create new high-quality habitats for aquatic life, birds, reptiles, amphibians, mammals, insects and plant-life. Beavers also build canals into the neighboring woodlands, allowing water and nutrients to flow over the landscape and creating off-channel habitats for fish, increasing water storage, recharging aquifers and raising water tables.

Downstream Water

Beaver dams reduce downstream flooding and improve water quality by slowing high-velocity flows and recharging floodplains. This process keeps stream channels connected to their floodplains, preventing incision. Stream systems are enhanced by increasing sinuosity and habitat complexity. Retaining bedload ensures that bedrock remains covered, preserving spawning gravel and preventing the bedrock from becoming a solar sink.