Tulare Lake was drained by farmers more than a century ago, and it has reappeared only rarely when floods have reclaimed farmlands in its ancient lake bed in the San Joaquin Valley. Now, a coalition of tribal leaders, community activists and environmental advocates has begun an effort to restore the lake. They have been discussing a proposal to bring back a portion of its once-vast waters by building a reservoir fringed with wetlands on the west side of the valley, within sight of Interstate 5. … An engineering proposal that was recently submitted to state officials calls for acquiring nearly 24,000 acres of farmland near Kettleman City and building levees to contain the new lake and wetlands. Turning the proposal into a viable plan, however, would require addressing various challenges, including securing funds, acquiring property from landowners and obtaining water that would consistently flow to the lake.