By ponding water, beavers play an important role in creating habitat for many species, including fish. The work of beavers is especially needed in arid landscapes, like Central Washington.

Beavers create ponds and wetland mosaics, which increase biodiversity. Beaver ponds raise groundwater levels which promotes plant growth. Beaver ponds can mitigate low streamflows in the summer, keeping water temperatures cool. Beaver ponds also capture sediment, keep nutrients in the headwaters, and provide flood resilience.

Mid-Columbia Fisheries and our partners are working to increase beaver populations throughout our region. We also implement projects that improve habitat for beaver, such as adding wood structures to streams that beavers can use as foundations for their work.

Throughout the Pacific Northwest, historic trapping drastically reduced beaver populations to a tiny fraction of their pre-settlement numbers. People have also moved into and developed the lush valley bottoms beavers favor. The loss of beavers and their dams, left many streams and meadows in a highly degraded condition. Streams have downcut and become disconnected to their floodplains, and water tables have dropped.  These issues were exacerabeted by other human activities.  Restoring streams and beaver populations can help reverse these trends, leading to healthier watersheds, higher water tables, increased streamflow, and improved habitat for fish, wildlife, and people.