One of the keys to restoring the water cycle, is help the rainwater infiltrate better into the soil and land. This can be done through slowing, spreading, and sinking the water with swales, terraces, check dams, soil organic content increase, mycelia, and plant debris.
Alpha,
Have you seen Ben Golfarb's work on road ecology? There are some parallels with your article. He also wrote Eager, a book about beavers.
His book or taster on W. W. Norton:
https://wwnorton.com/books/crossings
Ben's Twitter:
Louis