… Lake Powell’s water levels have been retreating for the past two decades, revealing vast swaths of once-submerged land. The falling water levels have jeopardized hydropower generation and added anxiety to policy talks about managing the region’s water supply. At the same time, they have put stunning geologic features and lush riverside habitats back in the open air. … Beavers are architects that make those animal communities even stronger. … Recent studies have tracked the emergence of old river features and the return of native plants. This one aims to track the return of healthy ecosystems, using beavers as a marker of progress.

Other wetland news:

• Lassen County Times (Susanville, Calif.): Prime stretch of the Fall River is conserved in land transfer to the Pit River Tribe
• Comstock’s magazine (Sacramento, Calif.): This collaboration between farmers, water officials and environmentalists is saving wildlife