The vast wetlands once found in the Yolo Basin were reclaimed in the late 1800s by being drained and converted to farmland, a process that was a driving force in the settlement of the Sacramento Valley. One hundred years later, wetlands within the Vic Fazio Yolo Wildlife Area were restored to bring back wildlife habitat with the food, water, and shelter needed by living creatures. Historic land features and the extent of wetlands mapped in 1906 were used to design restoration plans that reestablish habitat. Restoration work included shaping ponds of varying depths with heavy machinery, building water delivery systems and roads, and using canals, ditches, and water control structures to flood or drain ponds as needed, sometimes relying only on the timing and duration of flooding. Another technique involved collecting seeds and cuttings from local native plants, raising them in nurseries, and later planting them to provide food and shelter for wildlife, with early maintenance critical to help young plants survive and compete with non-native species. Although the wetlands of the past cannot be fully recreated, wildlife can thrive when essential habitat components are restored.