Beavers in The St. Vrain Basin
Beavers are nature’s engineers and key to climate resilient river restoration. Through their unique ability to shape habitats, they foster biodiversity, improve water quality, and support ecosystems facing the challenges of climate change. By learning from their natural instincts, we can boost the resilience of rivers and landscapes in a way that works in harmony with nature, making our restoration efforts smarter and more sustainable. We support landscape-scale planning to better understand historic and current beaver populations and work on-the-grounds to identify opportunities for beaver relocation and advance practices of beaver mimicry in river and wetland restoration.
Beaver Applications in the Field
We use beaver mimicry in our river and wetland restoration through methods like beaver dam analogues, post-assisted log structures, and flow-through rock dams. These techniques enhance sediment deposition, slow water flow, and foster vibrant, diverse habitats.
Beaver dam analogue using willow weaving under construction.
Log jam beaver mimicry along natural tree line.
Active beaver colony and dam in Left Hand Watershed.
Teaming up with partners and the community to boost beaver mimicry and expand colonies.
Unleashing Beaver Ingenuity: Discovering New Opportunities in the Watershed
We are working across the upper Left Hand and St. Vrain watersheds to plan beaver mimicry and reintroduction considering future climate scenarios like flood, fire, and drought. Learn more about this planning effort by clicking the project button below: