Sierra meadows are natural marvels. For millennia they have been cultural havens, hotspots ofbiodiversity and, recently, valued components of California’s natural water infrastructure. Sierrameadows absorb snowmelt in early spring and gradually release the stored water throughout thedry summer months. Healthy meadows keep cool water flowing; they also keep streams clear andclean by filtering out sediment and absorbing floodwaters. In 1889 John Muir’s laments forovergrazing in Tuolumne Meadows and in the headwaters of the Merced River prompted hisproposal to create the nation’s third National Park. In 2016, the Governor’s Water Action Plan againelevated meadows. “Meadows provide a natural storage opportunity, critically important with achanging climate.”