Geology Commons^™

The Influence Of Reintroduced Beavers On Sediment Processes In Post-Wildfire Headwater Streams, Methow River, Wa, Amanda Foster

Summer Research

Washington State has experienced increasingly frequent, and intense wildfire activity. For example, the largest fires on record for Okanogan County have occurred in the past five years, and this region includes the Methow River (MR), a main tributary to the Columbia River from the North Cascades. The MR is also the site of an ongoing beaver reintroduction program, that has transplanted over 300 “problem beavers” to headwater streams over the past decade. Historically beavers were abundant in the area, but populations were decimated by fur trapping in the 1800’s. Previous work documented how dam building by reintroduced beavers can rapidly …