BCWF builds an astounding 71 beaver dams in 2024

The B.C. Wildlife Federation (BCWF) has made remarkable strides in ecosystem restoration this year, constructing 71 Beaver Dam Analogues (BDAs) across seven project sites—all within a single field season.

We completed beaver dams across B.C. in Thompson Nicola, Squamish Lillooet, East Kootenay, Skeena, and Omni-Peace regions, to address pressing environmental challenges such as drought, flooding, and habitat degradation by mimicking the natural engineering work of beavers.

“Beavers, and the restoration work inspired by them, provide critical ecosystem benefits that have been lost or damaged over time,” said Rogers, BCWF’s Wetlands Project Lead. “By replicating their dam-building activity through BDAs, we are enhancing stream complexity, raising water tables, and increasing resilience to disturbances such as drought, wildfire, and flooding.”

The 10,000 Wetlands Project, launched in 2022 under the leadership of Jennifer Rogers, leverages low-tech, process-based restoration (LTPBR) techniques to restore wetlands and riparian ecosystems across the province. In 2024 alone, the BCWF team, alongside dedicated partners, restored 3.55 linear kilometers of stream habitat and assessed more than 30 additional locations for future restoration efforts.

The absence of beavers due to historic overexploitation has left many landscapes degraded and disconnected from natural water retention systems. By constructing BDAs and fostering beaver activity, BCWF restoration projects let nature take the lead in rebuilding ecosystems.

This year’s achievements would not have been possible without collaboration from a diverse network of partners, including First Nations, NGOs, government agencies, and landowners.

“The training and partnerships we’ve built are essential to advancing beaver-based restoration across B.C.,” said Rogers. “Our partners bring invaluable local knowledge, and together, we’re strengthening watershed resilience for future generations.”

The BCWF and its partners are committed to restoring 10,000 wetlands province-wide, with a goal of constructing 100 BDAs by 2026.

“Low-tech process-based restoration techniques take a leaf from the beaver’s book,” added Geneva Bahen, BCWF’s Beaver Restoration Assistant. “Beavers are nature’s wetland stewards, and by working with their natural processes, we can restore ecosystems in a cost-effective and sustainable way.”

Why Beavers? Nature’s Wetland Engineers

Beavers are a keystone species in British Columbia’s ecosystems, creating wetlands that:

• Support over 80 per cent of wildlife species;

• Improve water quality by filtering pollutants and trapping sediment;

• Mitigate flood risks by slowing water flow and storing water year-round;

• Create critical habitat for species such as salmon and trout;

• Enhance resilience to drought and wildfires by maintaining wet landscapes.

Training and Collaboration: Setting the Stage for Success

As BDAs are a relatively new restoration tool in B.C., BCWF has prioritized training, knowledge sharing, and collaboration to build capacity across the province. Highlights include:

• Methow Beaver Restoration Workshop (2023): Hands-on training in Washington State with experienced practitioners.

• Cows and Fish Beaver Symposium (2023): Collaborative discussions with practitioners from Alberta, Montana, and B.C.

• DFO Hydrometric Monitoring Workshop (2023): Standardized monitoring procedures for BDA effectiveness.

• BeaverCON (2024): International conference on restoration techniques inspired by beaver activity.

Collaborative Success: Key Partners in 2024

Our on-site partners included:

• Gitxan First Nation

• Lower Nicola Indian Band

• McLeod Lake Indian Band

• Nooaitch Indian Band

• Okanagan Nation Alliance

• St’at’imc Nation (via Splitrock Environmental)

• Westbank First Nation (via Ntityix Development Corporation)

• Yaq̣it ʔa·knuqʼli ‘it (Tobacco Plains Indian Band)

• Ducks Unlimited Canada

• Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO)

Looking Ahead: 100 BDAs by 2026

The BCWF and its partners are committed to restoring 10,000 wetlands province-wide, with a goal of constructing 100 BDAs by 2026. By implementing low-tech solutions like BDAs and PALS, these efforts will:

• Promote biodiversity;

• Enhance salmon and trout habitat;

• Reduce erosion and flooding;

• Boost landscape resilience to climate change.

For more information about the 10,000 Wetlands Project or to support BCWF’s restoration efforts, visit www.bcwfwatershedteam.ca or contact Jennifer Rogers at jennifer.rogers@bcwf.bc.ca.

Key Project Statistics:

• 71 BDAs constructed in 2024

• 3.55 km of stream habitat restored

• 30+ additional sites assessed for future restoration