Since the 1950s, California’s salmon populations have dwindled due to lost habitat from a combination of factors, including human-made barriers such as dams, altered river flows, and climate change. These challenges mean DWR looks for opportunities to support salmon and other endangered species in its projects whenever possible. DWR’s Lower Elkhorn Basin Levee Setback (LEBLS) Project is a multi-benefit project where engineering, flood protection, and supporting nature all come together. While the primary goal of LEBLS is to reduce flood risk, the recently expanded bypass floodplain is producing zooplankton, an energy-rich invertebrate that’s a key part of the juvenile salmon diet. This food production is happening in significant quantities and sooner-than-expected.