Oregon Water Science Center

Beavers and their dams can substantially change the storage and movement of water through a stream reach. The magnitude of this change is, in part, a function of the number and type of dams plus stream characteristics. If beaver activity is to be considered as a flow-management aid, then understanding the locations where beavers currently are building dams and the

Beaver dams and ponds fundamentally alter how water moves through a stream reach. Semi-porous dams can impound water, leading to backwatering, floodplain inundation, and overall changes in wetted area, depth, and velocity.

For this part of the study, USGS:

1. assessed hydraulic changes caused by beaver dams across a range of flows using a hydraulic model

Beaver dams and ponds alter the movement and storage of water as well as the water quality in a stream reach. To date, little work has been done to quantify the effects of beaver activity on water quality in urban streams.

In this part of the Tualatin beaver study, USGS assessed changes in water quality along beaver-affected reaches of Fanno Creek at Greenway Park

Beaver dams and associated ponding affect sediment transport and trapping by pushing water onto the floodplain and decreasing stream velocity, allowing for increased sediment deposition.

For this part of the Tualatin beaver study, USGS assessed changes in sediment dynamics along beaver-affected reaches of Fanno Creek at Greenway Park and Bronson Creek. Here, we

New post-wildfire resource guide now available to help communities cope with flood and debris flow danger.

2016-2017 Water Temperature Data Collection in the Lower Willamette River, Oregon, in Support of Cold-Water Refuge Monitoring

Poster: WIthin Our Reach

White, J., Jones, K., Buccola, N., Costello, A., Poor, E., Rounds, S.A., and Smith, C., 2016, Effects of beaver dams on urban streams in the Tualatin River Basin.