Floodplain Reconnection
Help Beavers Fix It
Floodplain Reconnection
Waterways with beavers look and function completely different from those without, and their changes have wide-reaching benefits. Beavers transform waterways from simple ditches into complex wetland ecosystems by creating networks of dams, ponds, and canals that divert and slow the water.¹ Humans call this process floodplain reconnection², and it has many benefits:
High water tables help reduce fire severity.³
Widespread wetland vegetation creates rare habitats⁴ and cleans water.
Flourishing native wetland plants can help prevent invasive species⁵ like Himalayan blackberry from establishing.
Multiple channels and ponds create refuge habitat for fish and amphibians during floods.
Ponds capture and store sediment and carbon.
Slowing and diverting water through multiple paths reduces erosion and flood severity.
Not all waterways support beavers
Beavers can create impressive pond complexes from small groundwater springs, but they need a year-round supply of water. Temporary streams that only carry runoff for a small portion of the year do not make good habitat.Beaver landscapes are resilient!
Protecting landscapes resilient to climate change is important. Beaver wetlands can provide relief throughout worsening heatwaves, droughts, and fires.
Scientific Citations
1 - Grudzinski, B., Cummins, H., & Vang, T. K. (2019). Beaver canals and their environmental effects. Progress in Physical Geography: Earth and Environment, 44(2), 189-211. https://doi.org/10.1177/0309133319873116
2 - Jordan, C. E. and Fairfax, E. (2022). Beaver: The North American freshwater climate action plan. WIREs Water, 9(4). https://doi.org/10.1002/wat2.1592
3 - Fairfax, E. and Whittle, A. (2020). Smokey the Beaver: beaver‐dammed riparian corridors stay green during wildfire throughout the western United States. Ecological Applications, 30(8). https://doi.org/10.1002/eap.2225
4 - Nummi, P. and Holopainen, S. (2014). Whole‐community facilitation by beaver: ecosystem engineer increases waterbird diversity. Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems, 24(5), 623-633. https://doi.org/10.1002/aqc.2437
5 - DeBerry, D. A. and Hunter, D. M. (2024). Impacts of Invasive Plants on Native Vegetation Communities in Wetland and Stream Mitigation. Biology, 13(4), 275. https://doi.org/10.3390/biology13040275