In the late 1800s, the shoreline of Owens Lake shifted because people altered its water supply. Even before the City of Los Angeles began diverting water from the Owens River, farmers had tapped its tributaries, causing the lake level to drop. A century later, water and life are returning to Owens Lake as shallow pools and ponds built to mitigate dust also provide wildlife habitat, and those features are now being designed deliberately to benefit wildlife through habitat islands, diverse vegetation, and shallow foraging areas that attract birds. California has lost 90% of its wetlands to development, reducing nesting space and feeding grounds and contributing to wildlife population declines. At Owens Lake, vegetation and water used for dust control attract birds, while the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power works to conserve water and maintain important habitat. Managed sites like Owens Lake now serve as critically important habitat where shorebirds and waterfowl feed in shallow pools on invertebrates such as brine flies that fuel long migrations.