American beaver

The broad, flattened tail is the clearest clue that a swimming rodent is a beaver. Oily fur and webbed hind feet help it work in water, while its large front teeth keep growing throughout life. You may find the evidence before the animal: gnawed trunks, cut branches and structures of wood and mud along a waterway. Beavers eat plants, including bark and other woody material in winter and greener aquatic or streamside growth in summer. In Utah, aspen, cottonwood and willow are important foods.

A dam slows and spreads flowing water, creating ponds and wet ground that other animals can use. The effects can include trapping sediment and increasing the variety of stream habitats. A lodge is the shelter where a family rests and raises young; it is not simply another name for the dam. Dam building also depends on the waterway. Beaver presence does not mean every occupied reach will contain the same conspicuous pond-and-lodge arrangement.

Beavers remain active through winter, though activity can be reduced and difficult to see. Quiet evening observation is more promising than waiting for daytime performances. Their engineering can also flood a road or block a culvert, so coexistence sometimes needs professional help. Tree protection and carefully designed water-control measures can address some conflicts without destroying the wetland. Visitors should leave dams, lodges and nearby food stores intact.

Large swimming rodent with broad paddle-shaped tail; gnawed trees and wood-and-mud structures are useful indirect signs.

Beaver-built habitat can benefit other wildlife, while placement near infrastructure can create conflicts.

Watch quietly from stable public banks, keep pets away and never dismantle a dam or lodge. Ask DWR about persistent property conflicts.