Beaver Impacts on Stream Temperature 

Miles Mayer has contributed to the research on urban watershed management and beaver impacts on stream thermal regimes. His MS thesis, titled "Thermal Regimes of Beaver Impacted Stream Reaches in the Tualatin River Basin," delves into how environmental and hydrologic variables influence temperature variability in beaver-impacted streams. This research not only expands our understanding of ecological resilience in urbanized basins but also showcases novel methodologies, like Distributed Temperature Sensing (DTS). The findings are reported in Journal, River Research and Applications. 

Mayer, M. and Chang, H., (2025) Thermal Regimes of Beaver-Impacted Stream Reaches in the Tualatin River Basin, Oregon, United States. River Research and Applications 41:1904–1924. 

Residents' perception of beavers in urban watersheds

Matthew Guziejka’s First-Place Poster Award
Matthew Guziejka, a key member of the research team, received the first-place poster award at the Urban Ecology and Conservation Symposium (UERC). His poster was selected by a panel of judges for its comprehensive presentation of the project’s findings on thermal heterogeneity in beaver-impacted streams. This recognition highlights the significance and impact of our research in the urban ecology field.

BeaverCon 2024 Presentation
Matthew Guziejka also presented these research findings at BeaverCon, a prominent conference focused on beaver-related ecological research and conservation practices. His presentation underscored the role of beaver activity in creating thermally diverse habitats, sparking interest among attendees and affirming the relevance of our work in advancing sustainable urban watershed management strategies.

Upcoming Publication
In addition to his presentations, Matthew Guziejka is working toward publishing a paper on the study’s results. This forthcoming publication aims to provide actionable insights for urban planners and environmental managers, focusing on the nuanced role of beaver dams in supporting ecological resilience within urbanized watersheds.

Review of controls of wetland water temperature

Michael Krochta and Heejun Chang's publication “Reviewing Controls of Wetland Water Temperature Change Across Scales and Typologies,” presents a comprehensive synthesis of water temperature dynamics in both natural and constructed wetlands, particularly in mid-latitude regions. The paper reviews 35 studies from 2000 to 2023, categorizing factors that influence water temperature across landscape and site-specific scales, including topography, geology, vegetation, and wetland size. This analysis emphasizes how wetland typologies and spatial positions in a landscape influence their thermal regimes, offering critical insights for adaptive wetland management in the face of climate change. Michael’s work highlights the need for refined wetland classification systems that account for multi-scale temperature influences and advocates for long-term monitoring to support resilient management practices amid changing climate conditions.

In relation to the broader project, this publication aligns closely with our focus on water temperature as an ecological indicator, providing a valuable framework for understanding thermal patterns in different wetland settings, including beaver-impacted areas. Michael’s insights on site-specific and landscape controls will support targeted restoration strategies within our study basin, helping to manage temperature variability for enhanced ecosystem health.

Other related publications

Sauer, J.** and Chang, H. (2025) Watershed management may overcome effects of climate change on stream water quality in the Portland metropolitan area, Journal of Environmental Management, 391, 126304. 

Sauer, J.** and Chang, H. (2025) People, place, and planet: Global review of use-inspired research on water-related ecosystem services in urban wetlands, Cambridge Prism – Water  

Chang, H., and Pallathadka, A.* (2025) A case for change: Flood risk management and green infrastructure, Cell Reports Sustainability  2(4), 100369 

Media Coverage

The Impact of Beavers in Stream Temperature Dynamics, Interview with Heejun Chang and Erin Leahy, UPP May 2025 Newsletter