Upper Newport Bay Restoration Completed

Newport Beach officials and supporters this week celebrated the completion of the Upper Newport Bay Restoration Project, an initiative to clear up the Back Bay's arteries and make it more welcoming to wildlife.

The project mostly involved dredging up silt from the watersheds over a period of four years. By the time the cleanup was completed in September, about 62 million cubic feet of silt had been removed from the site.

A dedication ceremony was held November 6th at the Peter and Mary Muth Interpretive Center, located in one of O.C.'s most valuable nature preserves. The event was attended by several city officials, as well as California representatives Sen. Dianne Feinstein and Rep. Ed Joyce.

Leslie Daigle of the City Council said the Back Bay is one of Newport’s most important recreational venues, calling it "the heart of the community." Daigle added that the project would revitalize the community and keep it alive for several decades.

Part of the project's aim was to restore the Back Bay's role as an estuary for local wildlife. The area is home to some 200 bird species, 75 fish species, and over a thousand small marine creatures.

The project, which cost $47.5 million, was financed jointly by Newport Beach sources and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, a 2009 legislation aimed at promoting local investment and consumer spending.

Future dredging, which isn't expected for another two decades, will be handled by Newport Beach city management, as per the terms of its funding agreement with the federal government.

 

Earlier in Newport Beach Real Estate News:
Newport Wins Award for Best Beaches
Newport Beach Home On Private Island Hits Market for $28 Million
Old Newport Beach Building To Be Transformed