The impact of beaver dams on the morphology of a river in the eastern United States with implications for river restoration

Auteur(s) et Affiliation(s)



Description :
A channel on the Atlantic Coastal Plain was analyzed before, during, and after beaver dams were constructed to evaluate the lasting impact of the beaver on channel morphology. The channel was actively evolving in a former reservoir area upstream of a dam break. Colonization by the beaver focused the flow into the channel, allowed for deposition along the channel banks, and reduced the channel width such that when the beaver dams were destroyed in a flood, there was no channel migration and net sediment storage in the reach had increased. The study indicated that where channels are unstable laterally and bank erosion is a concern, the introduction of beavers can be a useful restoration tool. However, because of the likelihood of increased channel bed erosion in a reach with multiple beaver dams, they may not be the best solution where aggradation of an incised channel bed is the desired result.


Type de document :
Article de périodique

Source :
Earth surface processes and landforms, issn : 0197-9337, 2014, vol. 39, n°. 9, p. 1236-1244, nombre de pages : 9, Références bibliographiques : 1 p.

Date :
2014

Editeur :
Pays édition : Royaume-Uni, Chichester, Wiley