Beaver Benefits on Waterways

Beaver Benefits
The positive impacts of beaver managed waterways

Beavers alter their habitat to suit their needs and, in the process, create an environment that helps many other plants and animals. Although most known for their dam building activity, they also modify the landscape by excavating canals, digging burrows, creating lodges, and altering the surrounding vegetation.¹ Together, these activities create complex and healthy ecosystems that benefit numerous organisms—including humans!

Beaver landscapes are resilient!

Protecting landscapes resilient to climate change is important. Beaver wetlands can provide relief throughout worsening heatwaves, droughts, and fires.

  • Habitat creation: wetland habitats promote new plant growth and support many different species.²

  • Fire protection: wetlands act as firebreaks, preventing further spread of fires.³

  • Regulation of water quantity: Dams store water during droughts and help slow flows during floods.⁴

  • Increased biodiversity: Beaver landscapes attract many different types of fish, invertebrates⁵, birds, and mammals. 

  • Improved water quality: Dams store sediments and filter out contaminants.⁶

Scientific Citations

1 - Law, A., McLean, F., & Willby, N. (2016). Habitat engineering by beaver benefits aquatic biodiversity and ecosystem processes in agricultural streams. Freshwater Biology, 61(4), 486-499. https://doi.org/10.1111/fwb.12721

2 - Cunningham, J. M., Calhoun, A. J. K., & Glanz, W. E. (2007). Pond‐breeding amphibian species richness and habitat selection in a beaver‐modified landscape. The Journal of Wildlife Management, 71(8), 2517-2526. https://doi.org/10.2193/2006-510

3 -Fairfax, E. and Whittle, A. (2020), Smokey the Beaver: beaver‐dammed riparian corridors stay green during wildfire throughout the western USA. Ecol Appl. Accepted Author Manuscript. https://doi.org/10.1002/eap.2225

4 - Hood, G. A. and Larson, D. G. (2014). Ecological engineering and aquatic connectivity: a new perspective from beaver‐modified wetlands. Freshwater Biology, 60(1), 198-208. https://doi.org/10.1111/fwb.12487

5 - Hood, G. A. and Larson, D. G. (2013). Beaver-created habitat heterogeneity influences aquatic invertebrate assemblages in boreal canada. Wetlands, 34(1), 19-29. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13157-013-0476-z

6 - Błędzki, L. A., Bubier, J. L., Moulton, L. A., & Kyker-Snowman, T. D. (2010). Downstream effects of beaver ponds on the water quality of New England first‐ and second‐order streams. Ecohydrology, 4(5), 698-707. https://doi.org/10.1002/eco.163