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Fall 2023 |
Newsletter Archive |
Beaver Dam Analogue Installs | ![]() |
![]() The BDAs are in and already storing water! Beaver dam analogues (BDAs) are a low-tech process-based stream restoration technique that mimics the work of beavers and some of the ecological benefits they provide such as water storage, increased riparian vegetation, enhanced habitat for other species and more. Our beaver collaborative, Working with Beavers, is researching the effectiveness of BDAs for stream restoration, with our first BDA structures being installed last year in partnership with Blood Tribe Land Management Department - Environmental Protection Division, and Cows and Fish - Alberta Riparian Habitat Management Society. In late September of this year, the partnership took on the role of beavers again to create dams to restore stream systems on the Kainai Reserve. This year the team installed eight structures across two different sites. One site, like our 2022 site, was dry during the time of installation so impacts will be seen during spring runoff and beyond. The other site however, had flowing water so the BDAs began storing water immediately (as seen in the photo). We'll be monitoring the sites for several years following these installations, looking at changes in surface water storage, riparian vegetation health, greenness, wildlife use, and more. Special thanks to the Oldman Watershed Council who participated in the installations, your hard work was much appreciated! Photo credit: Blood Tribe Land Management - Environmental Protection Division Thank you to our funders: Government of Alberta's Watershed Resiliency and Restoration Program (WRRP), The Alberta Ecotrust Foundation, Alberta Innovates, and The Calgary Foundation | |