One of nation's largest wetlands restorations
The South San Francisco Salt Pond Restoration Project is an ambitious public-private effort to restore tidal wetlands on more than 15,000 acres in the South Bay. It involves breaching salt-production ponds built over the past century so that nature can reclaim portions of the South Bay off the coasts of Palo Alto, Mountain View, Sunnyvale, Alviso and Milpitas. The Santa Clara Valley Water District and California Coastal Conservancy are working with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, California Department of Fish and Game and California Resources Agency on what will be the largest wetlands restoration effort in state history. I had the honor last month of speaking, along with U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, during a celebration to mark the three-year anniversary of the multi-agency partnership held at the San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge in Alviso. Since the start of the restoration, salinity in the South Bay has decreased appreciably. The refuge's staff reports a 100-percent increase in waterfowl and 130-percent increase in shorebirds' use of the ponds. In these first stages of restoration, the partners are trying to gradually reverse the salt-making process so that a first phase of restoration can take place in 2008. The restoration plan's three goals are habitat restoration, improved flood protection and wildlife-dependent recreation in the South Bay. To learn more, visit www.southbayrestoration.org. March was a very busy month. On March 27, I provided an update on the Lower Berryessa Creek flood protection project during a meeting of the Hidden Lake Village Homeowners Association in the Milpitas Police Department Community Room. The project is possible because of voters' approval in November 2000 of the Clean, Safe Creeks and Natural Flood Protection program. The program not only provides flood-protection projects, but also trails, parks and open spaces along waterways throughout the county. The Lower Berryessa project, estimated to cost $20 million, will protect nearly 4,000 homes, businesses and schools from flooding along Berryessa, Calera and Tularcitos creeks. It is estimated that it may prevent an estimated $1.6 billion in property damage from a major flood. On March 25, the Mountain Charlie Chapter of E Clampus Vitas visited Alviso Marina County Park to install a memorial plaque in honor of Ignacio Alviso, who founded the former city of Alviso in 1849. Speaking of the marina, the water district and county continue to work together on a final phase of improvements for this jewel of a county park, perhaps by summer 2008. And on March 22, I was one of about 60 residents who attended a community meeting in the Berryessa Branch Library to discuss the Upper Penitencia Creek flood protection project. The proposed 4.2-mile-long project, which the water district plans to build with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, would stretch from Penitencia Creek's confluence with Coyote Creek to Dorel Drive and prevent an estimated $455 million in flood damage during a major storm. I appreciate comments and questions from readers. Feel free to contact me at 234-7707 if you have a question or a comment. * * * Richard P. Santos is the District Three director for the Santa Clara Valley Water District Board of Directors. He represents portions of Sunnyvale, Milpitas and the Alviso area of San Jose, as well as San Jose's Berryessa and Alum Rock districts, east of Highway 101 to the Evergreen community.
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