With permits in place, work can now begin on a bond-financed project to turn former industrial salt ponds on the south end of San Francisco Bay into wetland habitat for wildlife.
The permits, issued this month by the San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board, will allow crews to begin opening the dikes separating the salt ponds from the water of the bay and allowing the water to mingle, according to a news release by Save the Bay, a group dedicated to protecting the natural environment of San Francisco Bay and its watersheds.
One year ago, Cargill Salt closed the $100 million deal to transfer 16,500 acres of salt ponds to the California Department of Fish and Game and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
The purchase price included a $72 million contribution from state government, using proceeds from Proposition 40, a $2.6 billion general obligation parks and water bond authorization approved by California voters in 2002.
