PA Environment Digest Blog: Middle Susquehanna RiverKeeper: Early Data Shows Benefits Of Analog Beaver Dam Effort In Stream Management At Susquehanna University

By Jay Scholfield, Summer Intern

Innovative approaches to ecosystem restoration are emerging across the USA, and one standout initiative is the Beaver Dam Analog (BDA) project.

Led by Matt Wilson at Susquehanna University's Freshwater Research Institute in Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania, BDAs are dams made to mimic those made by beavers. These dams are strategically placed along fast-running streams to combat erosion and restore groundwater levels.

“We’ve got a lot of stormwater runoff that comes in at the edge of Susquehanna’s property upstream, and we wanted to better capture that,” Wilson said. “These dams will slow flow down, and because they’re made of sticks and stones, they will let water pass through the middle during a big storm.”

BDAs are man-made but are specially created to mimic natural beaver dams, which slow water flow and encourage sediment build-up.

Each BDA consists of five-foot-long wooden stakes driven into the stream bed with up to three feet extending up out of the streambed., with Layers of large logs and branches are alternated on top. Additional shorter stakes are downstream to prevent scouring.

Click Here to read the entire article.

To learn more about programs, initiatives, upcoming events and how you can get involved, visit the Middle Susquehanna RiverKeeper Association website or follow them on Facebook.

(Reprinted from the Middle Susquehanna RiverKeeper Blog.)

Resource Links:

-- Middle Susquehanna RiverKeeper Blog: Early Data Shows Benefits Of Analog Beaver Dam Effort In Stream Management At Susquehanna University - By Jay Scholfield, Summer Intern

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