The California Tahoe Conservancy let the public tour its latest restoration project at the former Motel 6 property in South Lake Tahoe Wednesday. According to the group, the portion of the Truckee River underneath the Motel 6 is the missing link between miles of marshland that feeds into Lake Tahoe, providing critical wetland habitat among other environmental benefits. “These wetlands provide a lot of really important functions. One of those is protecting and improving water quality by providing natural filtration,” Senior Environmental Scientist at the California Tahoe Conservancy Stuart Roll said. In addition to helping keep Tahoe blue, the marshland habitat is home to several ecosystems and wildlife. “Lots of species use these wetland, and so restoring them and improving them really helps biodiversity and ecosystems in Lake Tahoe,” Roll said.

Other Lake Tahoe news:

• American Association for the Advancement of Science: Extreme weather cycles change underwater light at Tahoe