Bolsa Chica Wetlands. Part 1

wheat is rippling the surface of a daylong pacific coast highway at the bills at the wetlands a flock of shore birds called willett swoops overhead as birdwatchers perch on a bridge over the day when his binoculars jack fancher peers down at a black and white bird floating nearby year period female chair farther out in the distance as a raft of mostly waffle had some sharp words on the side banter is a biologist with the us fish and wildlife service and is working to restore ball city he says although the wetlands currently provide good habitat for a number of species especially migratory birds even more wildlife went to something harder to how it used to be will succeed there was an inner title wetland with full range of tides and emotion connection direct ocean connection but that was blocked around the lady tonight he's ever was convert part of those converted to water for all plans for hunting and it was has been cut off from the ocean since that time venter says federal and state wildlife agencies

plan to let in ocean waters including tides to more than five hundred acres here currently along channel final some ocean water to this day from three miles away but there aren't full tides and the rest of the wetlands are freshwater ponds that are dry much of the year standing next to fancher bob hoffman with the national marine fisheries service says the return of ocean tides will bring in a rich array of plankton fish and other marine life this area right now it's very good for a very few species of fish it is large numbers of cops melton toby's old which are important george phish to the birds it utilizes syria but not not great habitat for fish or resources they need for violence murray's work in california how big can migrate in and become established during the first year of our lives cotton says southern california has lost about ninety percent of coastal wetlands and that's led to a decline in how that and other fish he says

wetlands provide young halibut with protected areas where food is abundant and waters are calmer and warmer but not too warm well it's restored balsa cheek is expected to host about sixty species of fish including spotted and bart's and bass restoring bills a cheetah will be a big job for one thing caltrans will have to temporarily re route of a highway so contractors can cut an inlet from the ocean to the wetlands at the south end of the property later dredged from the wetlands will be dumped a few hundred yards offshore of the inlet to keep the beach from a roadie ing jack fancher says their energy has already begun shutting down some of the oil wells that have been operating here since world war two he drives to the southern corner of the wetlands passing grades that are being removed so the wells and the area around that existing oil

has to be room for us to be in the administration as well as the cost of the restoration including the purchase of the land is expected to be around a hundred million dollars making it the second most expensive wetlands restoration in the state's history and most of the money is already in place comes from the ports of los angeles and long beach as a mitigation for destroying habitat there venter's stops at a dried up pond where about a thousand black bellied clovers are sleeping bills tucked under their wings he says with the return of tides some of these ponds will be more than just resting spots for birds really rich with tiny worms and crustaceans the shore birds will come here and feed at low tide in great numbers so where you see a bear and flat today you might see two thousand six thousand charter birds of fifteen different species consuming those tiny invisible organisms that are grown in that mud flap that couldn't grow there before venter's is tidal waters

will also nurture a variety of salt marsh plants some of which are home to rare species like the endangered light footed clapper rail and heinz will promote eelgrass it's great habitat for young fish he says they hope to finish the restoration in about three years and bills are cheaper bills to set sail at nine point three kpcc