Guidance

Beavers: signs of beavers on your land 

Published 28 February 2025

Applies to England

You could have beavers on your land if you see: 

• trails through vegetation on banks around bodies of water 
• channels leading from the waterway 
• resting places like burrows, lodges or day rests 
• gnawed or felled trees 
• branches, sticks or shrubs that are cut at an angle of about 45 degrees 
• dam building in a watercourse 

Look for these signs in places where beavers usually live. This includes: 

• land along a river, stream, lake or man-made waterway 
• existing structures where beavers might build dams, for example, culverts 

Burrows, lodges and day rests 

Beavers dig tunnels and chambers into the banks of waterbodies. These are called burrows and vary in shape and size but can extend up to 15 metres (m) inland from the bank. A burrow may become part of a beaver lodge. 

Lodges are structures that beavers build using sticks and mud. Beavers may create a lodge above the ground and live inside it, or they might use the sticks and mud to form a roof over a tunnel, burrow or chamber below ground. They use lodges and burrows to breed, rest and rear young. 

Beavers may also build a food cache out of branches and sticks. 

Burrow and lodge entrances are usually underwater and may only be visible if the water is clear and there is no vegetation in the way, or the level has dropped. This means you may not know if there are burrows on your land. 

Day rests are usually hollows in the ground or on a ledge, with or without shredded woody material. They may be close to the water’s edge or several metres inland.

Dams 

A beaver dam is a structure built by beavers which can hold back water. Dams are usually made of wood, mud, stones, vegetation, or other materials. 

A dam is associated with a burrow or lodge if it is connected to, or directly affects, the water levels around a burrow or lodge. 

Dams can moderate water flow and sediment loss downstream but can also raise water levels, retain sediment, and cause flooding upstream. 

Channels 

Beavers dig channels that fill with water to provide safe access to feeding sites and aid movement through their territory. Channels are usually 40cm to 50cm wide and up to 70cm deep. Beavers also create short pathways to enter and exit the water which are usually less than 1m long.

Feeding signs

Beavers feed on a wide range of herbaceous plants, shrubs and tree bark - often along the water’s edge.

Beavers leave distinct teeth marks in woody vegetation, which they cut at 45 degree angles for feeding and building structures. The colouration of the remaining stumps or woody material can indicate the degree of fresh activity. White, bright colouration with wood chips still present can indicate that beavers are currently active. Darkened colouration of wood, with a dry or cracked appearance can indicate older activity. 

Piles of sticks, with the bark stripped, and uneaten soft vegetation can form where beavers regularly feed. These are known as feeding stations and are often found along the water’s edge.

Food caches can sometimes be seen over winter. Beavers store partially submerged collections of woody material as food reserves.

Managing beaver activities

Beavers will not usually cause problems. If you need to manage beaver activities on your land you should refer to the guidance for managing beaver activities in England.

Recording beaver activities

If you see signs of beaver activity, follow this guidance for recording and sharing data. All data you can gather about beaver activity is useful.