A home that starts by changing the river

A beaver’s home is more than its lodge. In Wood’s account, the dam comes first: logs, branches, earth and mud form a barrier across the stream, holding back water around the dwelling. The dam and lodge are distinct structures, each with a different role. The lodge’s passage leads down into the water, with an entrance deep enough to stay below surface ice. Its dry chamber connects to an underwater approach. Read together, the structures show how the lodge depends on the water held by the dam.