Leave It to Beavers: Building Resilience with Beaver Dam Analogues

Beavers are increasingly recognized as powerful partners in watershed resilience. Their dams slow water, store it on the landscape, reconnect floodplains, reduce erosion, improve habitat, and help buffer both floods and droughts—when built in the right places.

Beaver dam analogues (BDAs) replicate these benefits by mimicking natural beaver dams using simple, permeable structures that slow flows and jump-start riparian recovery. BDAs can restore key ecological functions and even encourage beavers to recolonize, amplifying long-term benefits.

This two-part webinar series explores BDAs from both a big-picture and hands-on perspective. Part 1 covers how BDAs work, where they’re most effective, and the range of hydrologic and ecological benefits they provide. Part 2 dives into implementation, including design basics, materials, site selection, and key considerations for success.

Whether you’re new to BDAs or considering them as a nature-based solution, this series offers both inspiration and practical guidance.

Moderator: Elizabeth Shearer, ClimateWest

Part 1: Lessons from the Field, features:

• Lesley Peterson & Elliot Lindsay, Freshwater Conservation Canada;
• Stephen Bennett, Anabranch Solutions; and
• Jay Wilde, Rancher from Idaho.

Part 2: From Ideas to Installation, features:

• Amy Berlando, Cows and Fish;
• Deanna del Valle, Freshwater Conservation Canada; and
• Alvin First Rider, Blood Tribe Land Management.