Restoration of huge bay wetland near Redwood City nearing completion

For hundreds of thousands of motorists driving along Highway 101 every day, it is a vast expanse of dirt and grass, framed on the north by Oracle's world headquarters and on the south by the Port of Redwood City.

But to environmental groups and biologists, it is a crowning symbol of the ongoing restoration of San Francisco Bay, 2,635 acres that prove not everything has been diked, filled and paved.

Now a six-year effort to restore Bair Island in Redwood City to tidal wetlands -- bringing back conditions not seen since the late 1800s, along with a wide range of ducks, herons, egrets, salmon, even harbor seals to the heart of Silicon Valley -- is reaching its apex. Work crews with heavy machinery are hauling in up to 500 dump trucks of dirt a day, reshaping the landscape after decades of political battles.

Work began in 2006 and is set to be completed in December, with access for hikers, bicyclists and school groups expected by next year.

"We're in the home stretch," said Eric Mruz, manager of the Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge, which is leading the project.

Crews supervised by engineers from the nonprofit group Ducks Unlimited are raising Inner Bair Island, the part closest to Highway 101, by 2 feet. To do that, they are hauling in 1.5 million cubic yards of dirt -- enough to fill 100,000 dump trucks. The work is intended to undo years of erosion and sinking, caused by diking the land off from the bay.

"As soon as you get the proper elevations, boom, the seeds just take hold," Mruz said. "In a year you'll see pickleweed and other plants. Then fish and birds. You'll see the start of a new marsh."

Ironically, the project has been slowed by efforts to save taxpayers money.

Dirt cheap

When work began in 2006, the Fish and Wildlife Service estimated it would be completed in 2009 and cost $12 million. Now it will be finished three years later but will cost $6.9 million. That's because federal planners had expected to have to buy all the dirt. But after talking with construction contractors, they realized extra dirt is often a liability for builders, who have a tough time disposing of it.

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Restoration of huge bay wetland near Redwood City nearing completion