How Beaver Dams Compare to Human-Built Dams

Grady Hillhouse of Practical Engineering examined how beavers build dams, comparing their construction methods with human-built dams. Hillhouse notes that the two share a similar design philosophy but differ significantly in how they are built and maintained.

I’ve spent a lot of time considering the differences between the professional practices that have culminated from centuries of human progress and the innate behaviors of these cute but unusual creatures. There are some surprising similarities, some glaring discrepancies, and a growing admission around the world that the rodents might have a better dam system.

via Nag on the Lake