WMG organized a River Restoration Practitioners workshop in February that filled up quickly with 30 participants representing 15 different non-profits and government agencies. We were beavering together: observing the creek, learning how to slow and spread flows and build simple structures with materials from on site.
Beavers are the best at creating wetlands and recharging our aquifer. So we like to mimic them, and “Be the Beaver” by making beaver dam analogue (BDA) structures. BDAs are made with posts, logs, mud, and other found materials nearby to slow and spread the water in the creek.
The Babocomari River is a beautiful tributary of the San Pedro River in Southern Arizona that still has some of its historic perennial reaches. WMG has been working with landowners along the river to bring more of the flow back and expand the wetlands - expanding the riparian forest and the wildlife it supports.
We built 17 BDAs structures along a 1/4 mile of the creek through River Run Network workshops with volunteers and a special River Restoration Practitioners workshop.
Just one year after installing some of these structures, we noticed water levels were higher than the year before, even though the winter 2025 was much drier than the previous year. Just imagine what more beavers could do!
This is perfect beaver habitat, and we’re happy to see beaver evidence in the area! In fact, a beaver recently moved into the area and added another three dams just upstream of ours.
