SYMPOSIUM PRESENTER TITLE: The effects of beaver dams on Wisconsin trout streams and fisheries ABSTRACT: Beavers (Castor canadensis) play a complex role in the hydrologic connectivity and dynamics of low-gradient streams of the Upper Midwest, especially where dams alter important habitat for trout. For this reason, the control of beaver to maintain free-flowing conditions in select coldwater streams has been a core part of the Wisconsin DNR’s management of brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis), brown trout (Salmo trutta), and other salmonids in inland streams and Great Lakes tributaries. However, effects of beaver control on trout streams and surrounding habitats are often misunderstood, with deeply divided opinions among both the public and managers, leaving many unanswered questions concerning the science behind the control program. I will discuss recent statewide research on the impacts of beavers and beaver dams on Wisconsin trout streams, including (1) physical changes to streams and the creation of wetlands in trout stream floodplains, (2) effects of these changes on trout population dynamics and fish assemblages, and (3) evidence that beaver dams are barriers to trout movement. BIO: Matthew Mitro is a coldwater fisheries research scientist with the Wisconsin DNR’s Office of Applied Science. Based in Madison, Matt has worked for the Wisconsin DNR on statewide fisheries issues since 2003 with a focus on trout in Wisconsin’s inland streams. Matt has also worked for the EPA’s Atlantic Ecology Division and the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission.