A long series of such dams can be observed by wading Savage Creek from the upper waterfall to the valley floor. The pools created behind these natural dams are particularly important in creating sufficient water to sustain fish populations in these small streams. Other natural dams can be observed in Abbo's Alley stream below Morgan's Steep and in the streamway of Barnes Branch below the bridge on Hat Rock Road in Sewanee. Some of the pools created by these natural dams are large enough not only to support fish but have become part of the recreational tradition of the area. A final kind of natural dam is the beaver dam.
Beavers are capable of building dams across virtually any stream or small river.
A good survey of many kinds of beaver dams can be found in Lewis H. Morgan's book, The American Beaver. Though dated and not a scientific work, the naturalist's lore and accumulated observations make this a useful guide to beaver construction. A particularly good example of beaver dam construction can be observed along I-24 South toward Chattanooga immediately at the Martin Springs Exit. Between the return ramp and the Dixie Highway that parallels I-24, the standing water that can be observed there is the upper end of an excellent beaver dam. This dam was constructed some time in 1994 and utilized materials cut by the beavers as well as brush cut by highway maintenance crews and corn stalks cut from nearby corn fields.