For decades, beavers were often seen as troublesome engineers whose dams flooded roads, farmland and residential areas. However, in Washington State, these same engineering skills are now being harnessed to restore rivers rather than removing the animals completely. According to the Tulalip Tribes Wildlife Program , the Tulalip Beaver Project relocates nuisance beavers from urban and suburban regions to degraded headwater streams in the upper Snohomish Watershed, where they naturally rebuild the wetlands, store freshwater and create habitats for salmon. By 2024, the project had become a notable example of nature-based restoration, showing how beavers can help address flooding, drought and declining fish populations.
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