 Have you been thinking about where you plan to go fishing once the ice melts? For me, I plan to seek out a beaver dam like the one here behind me. Beaver dams are located in many Wyoming riparian areas and alter several functions of the stream or river. These include hydrology, stream morphology, ecology, and biochemical processes. These engineering marvels greatly impact the area in which they are built, meaning they are either loved or hated depending on where they are constructed. These build dams to provide a spot where they can store their food supply in the winter. These usually include cut stems of willows, aspens, or cottonwoods. This supply is called a cache and is placed in the deepest part of the dam so it can be accessed when the surface of the resulting pond freezes. Dams are built from sticks, mud, and logs and vary in size and shape. Some dams can be as large as six feet tall. So the next time you're near a riparian area in Wyoming, keep your eye out for these feats of engineering. From the University of Wyoming Extension, I'm Rachel Miller, Exploring the Nature of Wyoming.