27/08/2026
A popular activity on a warm summer's day at Cardinham Woods is building dams, and our stream is certainly a great place for it!
However you may have also seen our rangers dismantling them, and there's a good reason why. Rock dams that are left in place can prevent fish from travelling freely between feeding and breeding areas, disrupting an important part of their life cycle.
That doesn't mean all dams are bad. In some parts of the UK, beavers have been reintroduced because their natural dams can help reduce flooding, create wildlife-rich pools and improve water quality. The difference is that beaver dams are leaky (porous), allowing water and wildlife to move through them more easily than these rock dams.
So our only request is this: what goes up must come down!
Have fun building your masterpiece, but please remember to dismantle it before you head home. Thank you 💚
