Beaver Benefits
Beavers Keep It Cool

Beaver dams, ponds, and canals influence stream temperature in complex ways. They help moderate temperatures throughout the year — cooling streams in the summer and warming them in the winter.

Warming streams can cause many cold-water fish, like trout and salmon, to become stressed, sick, and die. Unlike concrete dams of similar size, which tend to raise water temperatures, beaver dams often have a cooling effect during the summer months.

Beaver dams slow surface water flow, allowing surface and groundwater to mix. This mixing helps moderate the overall temperature because groundwater is cooler than surface water in summer and warmer than surface water in winter.

More tree and shrub growth around beaver ponds add shade, helping to keep water cool.

Beaver ponds create a variety of microclimates, with warmer zones (ideal for tadpoles) and cooler zones (essential for fish).

Unlike beaver dams, only the warm surface water can flow over concrete dams.

Beaver dams are naturally porous, allowing both warmer surface water and cooler subsurface water to flow past the dam. This mix helps keep downstream waters from getting too warm.