Did you know that beavers alter their environment more than any other animal on Earth besides humans? That’s how they earned their nickname “Nature’s Engineers”. Beavers build dams in creeks and rivers in order to create deep ponds with consistent year-round water where they can dive to safety from predators. Their dams slow the water down, spreading it out over the landscape, and allowing it to sink into the groundwater table (think slow it, spread it, sink it). By building a series of dams, the beavers transform single thread rivers and streams into lush wetlands, and that is what brings wide ranging ecosystem benefits.
Why Beavers?
Nature's Engineers
Process-based restoration (PBR) is partnering with nature to restore health and longevity to degraded river and stream ecosystems. Instead of using heavy machinery to alter streams to suit our immediate needs, we use mostly hand tools, human labor and all natural materials to give streams what they need to be in their healthiest state
To learn more about PBR and connect with practitioners across California visit: calpbr.org
Process Based Restoration
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BDAs mimic the beaver dams and natural woody structures that were common in healthy rivers and streams. These in-stream structures slow and spread the water, while accruing sediment behind them. Learn More
Beaver Dam Analogs
Nature’s Engineers are trained in managing beaver conflicts and are here to help you turn any beaver problem into a long lasting solution. Learn More
Beaver Coexistence
The Salinas River often runs dry in the summer, but it never runs dry where there are active beaver dams. Watch as the beaver dams transform the narrow river into a wetland with ponds of water 130 feet wide. Atascadero, CA
Watch this river come to life!
Aerial imgery of beaver habitat on the Salinas River, Atascadero, CA. Courtesy of Dr. Emily Fairfax and the SLO Beaver Brigade
Captions
Beaver habitat on the Salinas River in Atascadero, CA. Photo by Brittany App