(Manuel Rodriguez | Fox 13) American avocets wade through the shallow waters of an Owens Lake restoration area in August 2022. Mitigation efforts at the dried up lake had the side benefit of restoring habitat, and Owens Lake has since been recognized as an important staging area for migratory birds.
Leia Larsen is a sixth generation Utahn and a water and land use reporter reporter for The Salt Lake Tribune. She has covered environment, energy and political issues throughout the West. When she’s not chasing the news, Leia can be found exploring the Wasatch Mountains, sleeping in the desert or rooting around her garden.