From Barley to Bog: How One Oregon Farmer Restored a 70‑Acre Wetland and Brought Back 140 Bird Species and Endangered Fish

In the spring of 2021, Karl Wenner stared at the soggy, phosphorus‑laden runoff spilling from the low‑lying edge of his 400‑acre Lakeside Farms near Klamath Falls. Instead of draining the water away or simply abandoning the land, he asked a simple, almost stubborn question: could this flood‑prone slice become something useful – a wetland that cleans water and shelters wildlife?

The answer turned out to be a surprisingly practical one. Together with his partners, Wenner set about reshaping roughly 70 acres of his barley field into a semi‑permanent wetland. Shallow basins, winding channels, low dikes and a handful of islands were carved into the terrain, slowing water flow long enough for plants and sediments to trap excess phosphorus and suspended particles before the water ever reached the nearby Upper Klamath Lake.

What makes the project stand out isn’t just the engineering – it’s the way the farm kept its agricultural heart. The remaining acreage still grows barley, allowing the farm to stay economically viable while the wetland does its quiet work in the background.

Nature, it seems, didn’t need much encouragement. By October 2022, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recorded more than 20,000 ducks paddling across the newly created ponds. In the following years, tens of thousands of ducks, geese and swans have turned the area into a seasonal haven. Bird‑watchers now list at least 140 species spotted here, ranging from familiar mallards to elusive sandpipers.

Four‑legged visitors have joined the party, too. Otters have been spotted slipping through the channels, beavers have begun building modest lodges, and muskrats are busy shaping the edges of the water. It’s a cascade of life that feels almost cinematic given the land’s agricultural past.

Even the plant world has taken a dramatic turn. Researchers who collected pollen from local bees discovered that plant diversity on the property roughly doubled within two years of restoration. The bee‑based monitoring also helped spot invasive weeds early, giving managers a chance to intervene before the invaders could take hold.

Perhaps the most poignant success story, however, involves two federally endangered fish: the Lost River sucker and the shortnose sucker. Both species have suffered steep declines in the Klamath Basin, largely because the shallow nursery habitats they need have vanished. To address this, the wetland’s shallow pools were deliberately designed to mimic those historic conditions.

Between 2022 and 2024, thousands of juvenile suckers – including the endangered varieties and native Klamath largescale suckers – were released into the ponds. The goal wasn’t just a temporary boost in numbers; scientists wanted to see whether the wetland could actually support growth to adulthood.

In May 2025, after a partial drawdown of the wetland, researchers came away with a hopeful sign: they recovered 50 adult‑sized suckers, some measuring as long as 16 inches. Those fish are living proof that a carefully designed, farm‑adjacent wetland can act as a functional nursery for species on the brink.

Beyond the birds and fish, the wetland now serves a broader purpose: it acts as a natural filter, pulling phosphorus and other nutrients out of runoff before the water reaches Upper Klamath Lake. By reducing nutrient loads, the project helps curb harmful algal blooms that threaten the lake’s water quality and its own aquatic inhabitants.

Wenner’s experiment shows that agriculture and ecological restoration don’t have to be opposing forces. With a bit of imagination, a few ditches, and a willingness to let the land heal, a barley field can become a thriving refuge – a place where feathers, fur and fins find safety once again.