3. Hydraulic Effects of Beaver Dams
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Detailed Description
Beaver dams and ponds fundamentally alter how water moves through a stream reach. Semi-porous dams can impound water, leading to backwatering, floodplain inundation, and overall changes in wetted area, depth, and velocity.
For this part of the study, USGS:
- assessed hydraulic changes caused by beaver dams across a range of flows using a hydraulic model
- assessed the rate-of-change of continuous wetted area during storm events
- estimated water residence time with continuous conductance data.
These findings will be helpful for evaluating the effects of beaver dams and ponds on stormwater run-off and habitat diversity.
Sources/Usage
Public Domain.