Beaver Dam

I’ve been watching this beaver dam built over the past month or so. It’s fascinating to see how they interlace the logs, branches and river rock. They picked a spot in the river where the dam ties into strong willows at both ends. They add branches by pushing the base of the branch over the top and wedge the bottom into the tangle on the downstream side of the dam. The branches stick up and hold the materials they add to the top.

They created a three-acre wetland that includes two other dams this size and dozens of little spillway dams. The wetland was mostly dry a month ago. They dug canals between the ponds, so they can navigate the entire wetlands by water. The rising water flooded an old lodge which they are busy renovating for winter, adding new wood and lots of mud to the top. There are no trees nearby, so I put my camera on a tripod of lashed aspen - I’m hoping it isn’t added to the lodge.

If you have some insight into what is happening here, please comment.

Along with the beavers, the trail cam picked up moose, elk, mink, mule deer, deer mice, sparrows, juncos, and a dipper. I’m collecting them for a wetland visitors video in the future.

Видео Beaver Dam канала Michael Horwith