Beavers restore Mount St. Helens damaged river valley

The 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens buried the North Fork Toutle River valley under volcanic sediment, creating a wasteland.

A relocation of 58 beavers over the past five years has restored the area by building dams, canals, and lodges that created wetlands and habitats.

The restored wetland supports native plants, fish, and wildlife, reversing the post-eruption damage.

The US Army Corps of Engineers built a Sediment Retention Structure (SRS) in 1989 and raised it in 2013 to stop sediment from reaching the Columbia River.

A planned government project to raise the SRS further threatens to rebury the restored habitat under more sediment.