Beaver dams along an agricultural stream in southern Ontario, Canada: their impact on riparian zone hydrology and nitrogen chemistry

Hill, Alan R.; Duval, Tim P.

doi:10.1002/hyp.7249

Cited by 42 publications

(39 citation statements)

References 22 publications

(20 reference statements)

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“…Instead, it appeared that the beaver dams effectively changed the stream from a gaining to a losing system through enhancing vertical recharge, and/or creating long hyporheic flowpaths. This result contrasts with previous findings in that beaver dams have only been shown to cause water loss to the groundwater system along static to losing stream reaches Hill and Duval, 2009). As longer hyporheic flowpaths extend the length of temporary storage of water in stream bed and bank sediments, results presented herein may have implications for nutrient retention and export from peatlands (Hill and Duval, 2009), which can influence downstream water quality.…”

Section: Resultscontrasting

confidence: 99%

“…This result contrasts with previous findings in that beaver dams have only been shown to cause water loss to the groundwater system along static to losing stream reaches Hill and Duval, 2009). As longer hyporheic flowpaths extend the length of temporary storage of water in stream bed and bank sediments, results presented herein may have implications for nutrient retention and export from peatlands (Hill and Duval, 2009), which can influence downstream water quality. Within the study site (Sibbald Research Wetland) there are numerous large dams (20Á100 m or longer and 0.5 to 2.5 m high; Figure 1) that have very large ponds associated with them.…”

Section: Resultscontrasting

confidence: 99%

“…Subsurface flow laterally looping around a beaver dam has also been demonstrated by Hill and Duval (2009). A similar looping flow pattern was not observed near dam 2 however.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 61%

“…Beaver dams are one such biological factor that is rarely studied in spite of their ubiquitous presence and long history of damming streams in North America and Eurasia (Naiman et al, 1988;Baker and Hill, 2003;Rosell et al, 2005). The few studies that have been conducted have focused on how beaver dams restructure flow directions (White, 1990;Stofleth et al, 2008) such that beaver damdriven hyporheic flowpaths become comparable to those at severe meanders along gaining stream reaches and result in water loss to the groundwater system along static to losing stream reaches Hill and Duval, 2009). Water fluxes along these beaver dam-driven hyporheic flow pathways are infrequently quantified, although they influence the flux of dissolved solutes across the stream-groundwater interface, and ultimately downstream water quality.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Hyporheic Flows Along a Channelled Peatland: Influence of Beaver Dams

Janzen

Westbrook

2011

Canadian Water Resources Journal / Revue canadienne des ressour

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Investigation into the effects of beaver dams on hyporheic fluxes in channelled peatlands is needed to better understand how biological processes drive stream-riparian area connections and thus nutrient export, and to improve our overall conceptual model of water storage and flow through peatlands. The objective of this study was to determine the influence of beaver dams on vertical and lateral hyporheic exchange. Hydrometric methods were used to determine subsurface flow pathways and estimate hyporheic water fluxes for a third-order stream draining a Canadian Rocky Mountain peatland in 2006 and 2007. Three sites were studied Á two contained small, in-channel beaver dams and the third was a control. Vertical hyporheic fluxes equaled or exceeded lateral hyporheic fluxes despite the fact that hydraulic conductivity of the stream bed tended to be lower than the banks, suggesting peat hydraulic properties were not the dominant factor in the development of hyporheic exchange in stream systems draining peatlands as has been reported for streams underlain by mineral substrates. Instead, vertical fluxes were partially influenced by the presence of a mineral lens Â0.65 m below the ground surface. As well, high riparian water tables in relation to stream stage were key to limiting lateral fluxes. Steep hydraulic gradients above the two dams created looping flow pathways beneath and around them. However, little water actually flowed along these pathways. Measures of larger fluxes of water to the riparian area above the dams than those returning to the stream below the dams suggests either that hyporheic flow paths are longer than those measured in other studies or that the beaver dams generated recharge to the groundwater flow system.

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Section: Resultscontrasting

confidence: 99%

Section: Resultscontrasting

confidence: 99%

“…Subsurface flow laterally looping around a beaver dam has also been demonstrated by Hill and Duval (2009). A similar looping flow pattern was not observed near dam 2 however.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 61%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Hyporheic Flows Along a Channelled Peatland: Influence of Beaver Dams

Janzen

Westbrook

2011

Canadian Water Resources Journal / Revue canadienne des ressour

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“…Beaver dams have also been found to alter the export and retention of nutrients in streams, as well as modifying the hydrology of rivers, by changing stream flow upon flooding the original habitat and decreasing stream velocity [8]. The change in stream dynamics may also have a strong effect on organisms in the ecosystem.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ecological impact of Eurasian beaver (Castor fiber) activity on macroinvertebrate communities in Lithuanian trout streams

Pliūraitė

Kesminas

2011

Open Life Sciences

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Abstract:Our study found that beaver activity affects macroinvertebrate assemblages of both beaver ponds and downstream sites. The percentage composition of the invertebrate faunae of beaver ponds was strikingly different from the invertebrate faunae of upstream forested and downstream sites. The number of EPT (ephemeropteran, plecopteran, trichopteran) taxa in the upstream forested sites in all streams was higher than in beaver pond and downstream sites. Statistically significant differences were found in absolute and relative abundances of EPT and Chironomidae between different streams sites. The absolute and relative abundance of pollution-sensitive EPT was significantly higher in forested sites than in beaver pond and downstream sites in all measured streams. Beaver ponds had a significantly higher absolute and relative abundance of Chironomidae compared with upstream forested and downstream sites. We found that Plecoptera and Coleoptera were absent from beaver pond sites. The absolute abundance of Plecoptera was significantly higher in upstream forested sites than in downstream sites in all three streams. Gatherers were the dominant functional feeding group in relative abundance in all three habitat types. The percentage of gatherers was higher in beaver ponds than in forested and downstream sites.

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Relocated beaver can increase water storage and decrease stream temperature in headwater streams

et al. 2022

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Many areas are experiencing increasing stream temperatures due to climate change, and some are experiencing reduced summer stream flows and water availability. Because dam building and pond formation by beaver can increase water storage, stream cooling, and riparian ecosystem resilience, beaver have been proposed as a potential climate adaption tool. Despite the large number of studies that have evaluated how beaver activity may affect hydrology and water temperature, few experimental studies have quantified these outcomes following beaver relocation. We evaluated changes in temperature and water storage following the relocation of 69 beaver into 13 headwater stream reaches of the Skykomish River watershed within the Snohomish River basin, Washington, USA. We evaluated how beaver dams affected surface and groundwater storage and stream temperature. Successful relocations created 243 m3 of surface water storage per 100 m of stream in the first year following relocation. Dams raised water table elevations by up to 0.33 m and stored approximately 2.4 times as much groundwater as surface water per relocation reach. Stream reaches downstream of dams exhibited an average decrease of 2.3°C during summer base‐flow conditions. We also assessed how dam age, condition, maintenance frequency, and pond morphology influenced stream temperature at naturally colonized wetland complexes. Our findings demonstrate that dam building can increase water storage and reduce stream temperatures in the first year following successful beaver relocation. Fluvial and floodplain morphology of candidate reaches for relocation is an important consideration because it determines the type and magnitude of response. Relocation to reaches with existing small, abandoned ponds may address thermal criteria by conversion from warming to cooling reaches, whereas relocation within large, abandoned complexes or vacant habitat may result in greater water storage. Although beaver relocation can be an effective climate adaptation strategy to retain more stable hydrologic regimes and water quality in our study area, there appear to be regionally specific environmental and geomorphic factors that influence how beaver affect water storage and temperature. More research is needed to investigate how and why these regional differences affect water storage and stream temperature response in beaver‐influenced systems.

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Beaver dams along an agricultural stream in southern Ontario, Canada: their impact on riparian zone hydrology and nitrogen chemistry

Cited by 42 publications

References 22 publications

Hyporheic Flows Along a Channelled Peatland: Influence of Beaver Dams

Hyporheic Flows Along a Channelled Peatland: Influence of Beaver Dams

Ecological impact of Eurasian beaver (Castor fiber) activity on macroinvertebrate communities in Lithuanian trout streams

Relocated beaver can increase water storage and decrease stream temperature in headwater streams

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