A Dam(n) Important Project

Why Beaver Dam Analog Watershed Restoration Projects are So Damn Important in Utah

Author

Cezaryna Dzawala
August 29, 2026

Everyone has a different idea of fun. Some like to spend their summers going to the beach and sunbathing, others prefer hiking and climbing in the mountains, while still others — well, they deeply care about their environment and volunteer to build beaver dam analogs.

I first learned about this program, hosted locally in the Salt Lake City area, through my husband. He joined Sageland Collaborative a couple of years ago and signed up for hands-on restoration work in Utah’s degraded streams.

Before I introduce Sageland Collaborative and its role in the BDA project, I want to dive into Utah’s history a little. Why are beavers so important to Utah’s riverscape ecosystems, and what happened to them?

These cute creatures are a keystone species in Utah because their dam-building activity reshapes streams into thriving wetlands.

These ponds store water, raise groundwater levels, filter pollutants, and reduce downstream flood and drought risk. They also create vital habitats that boost plant and animal biodiversity in dry landscapes that comprise most of the state. All photography by Cezaryna Dzawala unless otherwise noted.

Before the 1820s, North American beavers (Castor canadensis) thrived across almost every waterway, river, and valley in Utah. As a matter of fact, when Mormon pioneers settled Beaver County in 1856, they named the local river and town after the dense network of active beaver dams they encountered.

However, heavy fur trapping in the 19th and early 20th centuries decimated their populations, leading to severe watershed degradation, dried-up wetlands, and downcut streams. In the 1820s and 1830s, for example, trappers — including those associated with the Hudson’s Bay Company and American fur companies — heavily targeted the region.

This unregulated trapping across decades drove beavers to near extinction in many lowlands and accessible watersheds.

Without beaver dams to slow flows, Utah’s streams cut deeper into their beds, water tables dropped, and historic wetlands and floodplains dried out.

This is why, today, conservation groups like Sageland Collaborative actively work to relocate beavers back into vulnerable watersheds to help restore natural wetlands and improve water supplies. Beaver relocation is more successful if there is already the beginning of a beaver dam. Building the frameworks for the animals allows them to immediately hide and eat before they need to start building a home and looking for food.

That’s why we spent a day building beaver dam analogs at Crandall Creek near Peoa, Utah.

It’s an early August morning, and we can already tell it will be a hot one. We have a smaller group today: four volunteers — Ray, Faren, Emily, and Lily; four Sageland Collaborative staff members — Shane, Francis, Abigail, and Elan; Scott and Marina with Trout Unlimited; and me. Eleven total.

We caravan up the dirt road on private land above Rockport Reservoir to the site where we will be building beaver dam analogs. The plan is to build 20.

We unload the truck: shovels, loppers, boots, gloves, protective glasses, sunscreen, a cooler full of water, and snacks. We have a long day ahead of us, and we’ll make good use of all these supplies.

Riverscape restoration project manager Shane Hill greets us all, and we begin introductions. Elan and Abigail share photos of baby beavers with the group.

They are absolutely adorable, and we all can’t stop admiring their cuteness. (Photos curtesy of Elan Powless)

We won’t be seeing actual beavers today. The site we are working on has no water, and it’s in its first phase. This particular project is only in the initial framework and setup stage of stream restoration.

Next, we talk about the importance of protective equipment, staying hydrated, and working in teams. Shane asks if anyone knows what BDA stands for and proceeds to explain what our work will mean for the environment.

Then we get to the technical aspect of building the actual dams. Our future dams are marked with wooden posts installed by contractors prior to our arrival. The locations had been carefully selected and flagged beforehand by Shane, Scott, and Elan, based on where they believed the dams would best slow the water and allow pools to form.

Shane tells us to channel our inner child.

To create a sturdy and effective dam, like a beaver would, we will be making dirt lasagnas framed by the wooden posts already in place.

We will be using all-natural materials in a process called low-tech process-based restoration that utilizes sticks, twigs, logs, rocks, mud, and sagebrush. The most important part is a sturdy base followed by layers stacked on top and material filling in the sides. The more variety, the better, so that water doesn’t simply waterfall over the dam but instead can percolate and flow through it.

Everyone understands the assignment, and off we go — to build dirt lasagnas.

While we start forming our first dams of the day, I walk around and chat with everyone, trying to learn as much as I can about today’s project.

Scott Catton tells me that he works for eight months each year in anticipation of four months of building dams.

Sageland Collaborative and Trout Unlimited partner together to secure grants and make their work more efficient. Scott says there is a strong culture of collaboration in Utah. Working together can benefit multiple habitats in multiple ways. Fish benefit from beaver dams, as do elk, deer, and riparian vegetation. Fire mitigation and water restoration, for instance, go hand in hand. It’s also easier to get funding when more people are involved.

Shane offers to show me the previous year’s work, and we pile into his high-clearance vehicle to drive farther up the dirt road.

While we are driving, I ask him question after question, trying to understand the end goal of the BDA project and what it means for the project to be successful.

One of the goals behind building BDAs specifically in Crandall Creek’s bed — even though we don’t currently see any water in the creek  — is to capture sediment from eroding soil before it flows into Rockport Reservoir, which benefits the reservoir’s water quality.

By capturing water when it flows down the creek and creating pools behind the dams, the hope is to slow the water, capture sediment, raise the water table, and hold moisture in the landscape to create natural sponges. When that happens, riparian vegetation comes in, and the whole ecosystem begins to revive.

Shane explains that they consider the project successful when there is no longer any human intervention needed and the creek and its habitat become self-sustaining. However, most projects don’t reach full restoration on their own, and that’s when the beavers come in.

When everything is as it should be, Shane says natural processes are in place to keep the cycle going and no human intervention is needed. The stream will then be considered healthy and resilient.

Unfortunately, there can be multiple setbacks. Cattle and overgrazing, for example, are a huge problem, especially when working with private landowners.

We arrive at the site to view the project from the previous year. To our surprise, there is no water up there, either.

Shane and I hike down the steep and eroded dry bank to the creek bed. The soil in the vicinity of where the creek would be flowing, to my surprise, looks moist — like a sponge.

We can also see that the creek meandered around the BDA. In deeply-eroded or narrow creeks like the one we are in now, a BDA can help force the creek to widen and create a more natural and complex shape. It also encourages the stream to spill out and spread water onto adjacent land, which can then activate the natural floodplain.

Shane says this is good. Despite looking chaotic, a messy stream is a sign of a healthy ecosystem.

By the time we get back, we find everyone taking a lunch break in the shade of nearby willows and cottonwoods. It’s almost 1:00 in the afternoon now, and it’s really hot.

Afterwards, I join in to help make more dirt lasagnas. It’s hard work, especially in the scorching sun with no water or shade around us. We work for another two hours or so before deciding that everyone is too tired to continue, and we wrap things up a bit earlier than anticipated.

We built 11 dams — not quite reaching our goal of 20. With a smaller group and exhausting heat, we all agree this is still a strong number.

When building beaver dam analogs, results don’t appear right away. It takes four to five years for these projects to reach their final phase, and sometimes even longer. The full timeline until completion depends on how badly the soil is eroded, how many cattle are grazing nearby, and how much moisture Utah receives in any given year.

Unfortunately, we have seen less and less moisture in recent years, with rising temperatures, insufficient snowpack, and more water evaporating from reservoirs. These conditions mean restoration projects like these are more important than ever.

The hope is that, with everyone’s effort and hard work, we can help restore riverscapes and watersheds in Utah for the benefit of future generations of beavers, fish, elk, and deer — and humans, too.

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Cezaryna “Ceza” Dzawala is an outdoor and adventure photographer with a passion for trail running and the great outdoors. Originally from Krakow, Poland, Ceza moved to Salt Lake City nearly two decades ago to pursue her dream of snowboarding. She quickly became a trail running enthusiast and enjoys exploring the rich variety of trails Utah has to offer. She pursues outdoor adventures year-round, following athletes and documenting various sporting events around the state. Her love for outdoor photography has taken her to breathtaking places and allows her to continue chasing her dreams along the mountain ridges.