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Abstract
Beaver dam analogs (BDAs) are a type of natural infrastructure that mimics the effects of beaver engineering to improve degraded stream systems. In locations that would otherwise be suitable for BDA restoration treatments, development, infrastructure, and other human activities can create conflicts with these designs. In certain cases, deeper design analysis using hydraulic modeling can help anticipate and mitigate potential conflicts. In this study we propose a decision tree for assessing when and why hydraulic modeling is necessary or recommended for BDA designs and demonstrates the utility of the decision tree through three case studies. We also test the viability of eight approaches for representing BDAs in 2D hydraulic modeling at a site colonized by beaver over three years. Approaches using vertical posts with roughness adjustments and inline weirs show clear advantages, though multi-criteria evaluations highlight trade-offs among the approaches in representing BDA hydraulic complexities and site evolution.