Since the 1964 earthquake and geologic uplift, beavers (Castor canadensis) have expanded their historic range from the inland (outwash plain) Copper River Delta, Alaska to the once tidally influenced areas of the outer area (uplifted marsh). The uplift presents a unique opportunity to observe beaver expansion, habitat selection and influence...
Through the trapping of sediment behind dams, the
presence of beaver in a watershed may cause substantial
changes to fluvial and geomorphic processes. In an
effort to investigate sedimentation patterns in beaver
ponds in the Oregon Coast Range, a case study was made of
the annual accumulation of sediment in...
Stream systems in the Pacific Northwest have come to be understood in the absence of beaver (Castor canadensis). To understand the effect of beaver upon riparian plant communities, four basins in the lower Alsea drainage were examined to determine the effect of beaver and their impoundments on streamside herbaceous/shrub and...
The American beaver (Castor canadensis) was nearly extirpated by the late 1800's due to the fur trade. Due to reintroduction efforts, it now occupies much of its former range. Beavers are a keystone species and ecosystem engineers, greatly influencing riparian and instream habitats through selective harvesting of plant materials and...
During 1988-1989, stream habitat variables were compared between beaver-dam sites and unoccupied-stream sites to identify variables that may have been important for beaver (Castor canadensis) in selecting dam sites in the streams of the Drift Creek basin, Lincoln County, Oregon. Increasing valley floor width and grass/sedge cover and decreasing stream...
This study was designed and implemented to observe
the spatial and temporal dynamics of groundwater levels
and temperatures adjacent to a beaver pond in semi-arid
central Oregon. The study site was located on the eastern
boundary of Painted Hills National Monument along Bridge
Creek, a tributary to the John Day...
Dimensional characteristics of 44 beaver dams and ponds on Kuiu Island in Southeast Alaska were determined to evaluate the hydrologic effects of these structures on peak flows. The study area consisted of low gradient, incised streams in broad U-shaped valleys. Pond routing simulations were conducted using four return intervals (2-,...
The distribution of Lahontan cutthroat trout Oncorhynchus clarki henshawi was assessed in a high-desert stream in southeastern Oregon where beaver Castor canadensis are abundant. Longitudinal patterns of beaver ponds, habitat, temperature, and Lahontan cutthroat trout age group distribution were identified throughout Willow Creek. Three distinct stream segments were classified based...
This study was undertaken to evaluate the spatial and temporal characteristics
of riparian groundwater tables adjacent to beaver ponds. The research was
conducted in two parts; in the first portion a two-dimensional, finite-difference
computer model was developed and utilized to simulate groundwater elevations
through time in pond-adjacent aquifers. Two types...
The effects of beaver (Castor canadensis) on stream morphology, riparian zones, and coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) fry in Cape and Cummins Creeks, Oregon, were examined using stream surveys, vegetation transects, and coho salmon fry counts in 1987. The basin around Cape Creek has been extensively logged since the late 1940's....
Many stakeholders involved with stream restoration in the Pacific Northwest have discussed the potential benefits of using beaver dam construction activities (Castor canadensis) as a management tool to improve degraded stream habitat for anadromous salmon species. In addition, there has been growing interest in using nuisance beavers, primarily controlled by...
Esmond Creek is a tributary to the Siuslaw River located in the Oregon Coast Range. It is 18 km in length and drains a watershed area is 48.9 km². Average channel gradient of the study reach is 0.9%. In 1988 a landslide
occurred in the Esmond Creek watershed involving approximately...