A nearly 600-acre wetland sits at the southernmost end of Lake Tahoe. It’s where Tahoe’s two largest tributaries — the Upper Truckee River and Trout Creek — meet and mingle amid tall grasses and willows before flowing into the lake. This wetland might not look like much, but it’s critical to the health of Lake Tahoe’s environment. The wetland naturally filters pollution and fine sediment, guarding Lake Tahoe’s clarity. It also stores carbon, fights climate change and serves as a resilient habitat in times of drought for dozens of fish and wildlife species.