Artificial beaver dams saw juvenile coho salmon survival rates go from 8% to 60%

Artificial beaver dams constructed in California's Scott River watershed dramatically improved juvenile coho salmon survival rates, increasing from 8% to 60% over several years. The dams recreate wetland habitat that was lost after European fur trappers nearly eliminated the native beaver population in the 1830s, and remaining beavers have even enhanced some of the artificial structures. The findings, published in Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution, demonstrate the significant ecological benefits of restoring beaver-created habitats for threatened salmon populations.