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.

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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

-- Middle Susquehanna RiverKeeper Blog: 29 Students Split Across 2 Day Explore Wellsboro State Park In HERYN Environmental Education Expansion Program

-- Middle Susquehanna RiverKeeper Blog: Adaptive Kayak Launch Added At Montour Preserve To Help More People Access Lake Chillisquaque In Montour County

Related Articles:

-- State Conservation Commission Now Accepting Applications For $13 Million In REAP Farm Conservation Tax Credits - First-come, First-Served  [PaEN]

-- Susquehanna River Basin Commission Now Accepting Applications For Watershed Restoration, Improvement Grants; 2 Applicant Webinars Coming Up  [PaEN]

-- Western PA Coalition For Abandoned Mine Reclamation Receives Additional Funding For Quick Response Mine Drainage Treatment Project Emergency Repairs  [PaEN]

-- American Chestnut Foundation Hosts Aug. 16 Webinar On Adaptive Silviculture For Climate Change: Exploring Options For Sustaining Eastern Forests  [PaEN]

-- PA Organization For Watersheds & Rivers Hosts Aug. 21 Online Community Engagement And Climate Resilience Planning Workshop  [PaEN]

-- Schuylkill Action Network To Hold Schuylkill River Restoration Fund Bus Tour On Sept. 5  [PaEN]

-- Penn State Extension Hosts Sept. 5 Webinar On Watershed Friendly Native Planting  [PaEN]

NewsClips:

-- Centre Daily Times: 2 Dams Are Being Removed On Spring Creek; What To Know About The Projects

-- PA Resources Council What’s Up, Watershed: Cool Waters - How Trees Help To Protect Pennsylvania’s State Fish The Brook Trout

-- Erie Times: Dog Owners Take Precautions As Harmful Algal Blooms Thrive In Erie County Waters

[Posted: August 6, 2024]

8/12/2024