Confronting the challenges of wetland restoration in a changing climate: observations from the U.S. Intermountain West

Abstract Introduction Wetlands provide essential ecosystem services that are especially important in arid and semiarid ecoregions that may be especially vulnerable to climate change impacts. A 2022 survey of wetland managers in the semiarid Intermountain West, United States, rated drought and climate change as the foremost challenge to restoration. Objectives This follow‐up study measured state and federal managers' perceptions of climate change impacts, how they are adapting to these changes, and the barriers they have encountered. Methods Surveys were mailed in May–June 2024 to 302 individuals identified as state or federal wetland managers in the Intermountain West, yielding 49 usable responses. Results Respondents reported more frequent droughts, higher temperatures, reduced water quantities, and changes in the timing of water availability. Anticipated future changes include new non‐native species invasions and more frequent extreme weather events and droughts. Two‐thirds of respondents had implemented adaptation strategies, most frequently by seeking additional water, changing management goals, and new or augmented seeding and planting of wetland vegetation. Operational and regulatory factors were the principal barriers to adaptation. Conclusion Most managers of public wetlands in the region have observed impacts of climate change and are pursuing restoration efforts but face significant barriers to doing so. They expect restoration complexities to increase, requiring new revegetation projects, increased efforts to combat invasive species, and revising management goals and locations of practices to align with future conditions.