To Become a Beaver by Allison Gibbons

Step 1: Find a Place to Build a(n Analog) Dam

Beaver Dam Analogs (or BDA for short) are what the WRFI Restoration Ecology Section 2 students set out to build. These dams are made in the riparian part of the watershed system to supplement what the beavers would have historically done in the area. Good candidates for BDAs are meandering streams that could carry large amounts of sediment in the quick flows of the springtime snowmelt. Building a BDA in these streams will act as a catchment for the sediment and redirection for the waters to flow to the sides into the floodplains.

Step 2: Acquire Wood-Cutting Skills

If you lack the rodent-like teeth to cut down trees and foliage yourself, use a chainsaw trained expert (for example, our good friend Pedro).

Step 3: Gather Materials

Sod, rocks, willow and pine tree limbs as well as larger wooden stakes to anchor the structure are typically easily accessible in areas surrounding Big Hole Watershed streams. These materials are your tools for successfully building a BDA.

Step 4: Create a Base Layer

Once the stakes are planted across the stream, place a bedding of willow branches facing upstream and use rocks and sod in between the stakes to begin to block the flow of water. The rooty-mat of the sod holds the dirt in place while letting the water seep through.

Step 5: Weave Willows

Use more willow branches to weave inside and outside of the stakes like a woven basket for fish to wiggle their way through. More sod and pine branches can be layered to fill the bigger gaps where too much water is flowing through.

Step 6: Enjoy the Satisfaction of Your Finished Work!

Our group of 7, with the guidance of the amazing Big Hole Watershed Committee Executive Director Pedro and WRFI alumni-turned-BWC-intern Emma, really embraced our inner beavers and were able to complete 9 BDA’s in about 6 hours of work. Our work may have been small in the impact it made to the Big Hole Watershed, but we felt the shimmer of satisfaction and the stimulating application of new skills. Seeing the real-time accomplishments of our work with the flooding of water into the side fields and the little fish exploring the freshly made dams definitely helped us see the results of restoration projects like these.