A thousand years ago, native fish and birds rested in a fertile floodplain at the intersection of the Sacramento and Feather rivers and Butte creek along their migratory routes. Since the turn of the 20th century, the area has been engulfed in rice fields. But in the next decade, the bygone natural floodplain is coming back. That’s after California conservation nonprofit River Partners secured millions for restoration work on 750 acres from state wildlife agencies and Apple Inc., the multinational tech company. It’s all part of the state’s effort to conserve important wild lands for their myriad climate benefits and Apple’s support for clean energy and conservation projects to counterbalance pollution and water consumption from its operations.

Related flood articles: 

• KCRA – Sacramento: Levee issues prompt flooding concerns along San Joaquin River
• News 30 – Fresno: $2 million in federal aid to improve Madera’s storm drainage and sewage system