The actual living area inside the lodge is above the water line so that they stay warm and dry when not swimming. In fact, steam can sometimes be seen rising from beaver lodges on cold days. Otters and muskrats also stay for the cold weather. Though muskrats would rather stay under the ice like the beaver, otters love the snow. They have been observed making paths on the snow banks and sliding on their bellies into the water.
Most aquatic plants die in autumn to prepare for winter.
However, they only die back to their roots, which means that they can grow back when the weather gets warmer. Plants that are partially submerged either wholly or partly disintegrate during the winter. Algae on the other hand, remain photosynthetic all winter long, or survive as spores in a dormant state. Along the water's edge, chlorophyll is being broken down from the leaves of deciduous trees and shrubs during the winter months. This is why the leaves change colors in the fall- they are dying.