In the absence of actual beavers, beaver dam analogs are convincing imitations that can spur the processes needed to recreate complex, healthy meadows with improved spawning habitat for steelhead, Chinook salmon and other species. If all goes according to plan, a passing beaver might see these human-made dams, complemented by the soft, pooling water they love, and think, “This is nice … but I could do better.” The hope is they’ll stick around. Watch the Oregon Hand Crew as they weave wood and mud into beaver dam replicas to revive cold water habitats and restore the fish population in the headwater meadows of Oregon’s North Fork John Day River.