A Beaver dam in Jordan Park!
By Virginia Bruce

The latin name of our native Western redcedar, Thuja plicata, means pleated, referring to the folds of the trunk.

Jordan Park is an amazing slice of native forest in our midst. Wooded slopes surround Cedar Mill Creek as it runs southwest on its way to Cedar Mill Falls. Unimproved dirt trails provide a pleasant hike through the woods and down to the stream. The park entrance is at the north end of 107th.

On a recent walk with my dog, I was surprised to see that the water seemed to be backing up instead of running freely. Just downstream from a series of bends, the beavers' structure was holding back the water.

Julie Reilly, Natural Resources & Trails Specialist for THPRD, says that the beavers' presence in the park doesn't necessarily indicate a healthy ecosystem, but, “It indicates that the stream is fairly narrow, low gradient, and there's plenty of beaver food around.”

Above the dam, the water is running as usual

She continues, “Visitors to the park won't disturb the beavers unless they are chased by dogs.  Even then, beavers dive down under the water.  Beavers are nocturnal and don't come out of their dens/lodges until at least 4 pm, often later.  The dams are intended to hold back water. Beavers do not live in the dam.  Beavers build large conical structures called lodges, with entries under water, for living and rearing their kits.  Sometimes beavers live in the banks of streams rather than in lodges”

Beavers can increase the health of an ecosystem by providing water storage, rearing habitat for fish and aquatic invertebrates, and increasing ground water levels.

Near the dam, the water is still.

If you visit the park, watch out for the vigorous stands of stinging nettles!

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