THE WORK THAT CREWS HAVE JUST STARTED IN THE DELTA. WORDS CAN’T DESCRIBE THE SERENITY OF PROSPECT ISLAND ON THE DELTA. SO WHEN YOU LOOK BEHIND YOU AND YOU SEE WHAT’S HAPPENING HERE, WHAT DO YOU SEE? I SEE A LOT OF POTENTIAL. BUT SOON THE ISLAND 1600 ACRES WILL BE TRANSFORMED. I LOVE SEEING THIS REGION JUST KIND OF GET REBUILT. DAN REARDON IS AN ENVIRONMENTAL PROGRAM MANAGER FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES. HE AND HIS STAFF HAD JUST BEGUN OVERHAULING PROSPECT ISLAND, ALL IN THE NAME OF CONSERVATION. IT’S A LOT OF WORK. IT IS A LOT OF WORK. YES, WE HAVE A GREAT CREW OUT HERE. IT’S A IT’S A MASSIVE EFFORT. LEVEES CUTTING THROUGH THE ISLAND WERE BUILT IN THE LATE 1800S. OF COURSE, IT MADE TRAVEL ONTO THE ISLAND EASIER, BUT IT CUT OFF ALL THE NATURAL WATER FLOWS. OVER TIME, IT’S TAKEN ITS TOLL ON THE ENVIRONMENT. SO WHAT IS THIS ALL FOR? SO THIS IS TO HELP DELTA SMELT, WHICH IS AN ENDANGERED SPECIES, REESTABLISH ITSELF IN THE DELTA. DELTA SMELT MIGHT BE A VERY SMALL FISH, BUT IT HAS A GIANT IMPACT ON THE FOOD CHAIN. IT PROVIDES DINNER TO SO MANY OTHER SPECIES, AND THE FEAR IS THAT IF THE SMELT DIES OUT, THE IMPACTS WILL BE IRREVERSIBLE. WORK ON THE DELTA BEGAN ABOUT THREE MONTHS AGO, AND IT’S A HUGE PROJECT. AND IT INVOLVES CLEARING AWAY ALL OF THIS VEGETATION. AND WHEN THEY DO IN TWO YEARS WHERE I STAND NOW WILL BE ALL UNDERWATER. SO THIS USED TO BE A GIANT FOREST. AND SO NOW I SEE WHERE WE’RE GOING TO INSTALL THIS GIANT HABITAT BENCH THAT PROTECTS THIS LEVEE. AND ALSO HELPS NATIVE VEGETATION. KIND OF REESTABLISH IN THE DELTA. THIS ONE PROJECT IS PART OF A BIGGER PLAN TO RESTORE WATER FLOW TO NEARLY 8000 ACRES ON THE DELTA. IT’S A CHANCE TO TURN BACK THE CLOCK ON MOTHER NATURE. IT’S JUST SUCH A NEAT FEELING TO SEE THAT I LOVE KIND OF THE NATURAL HISTORY OF THIS STATE, AND KIND OF BEING ABLE TO TAKE IT, EVEN JUST A LITTLE PART OF IT. BACK TO THAT IS IS REALLY IMPORTANT TO ME, JUST PERSONALLY, NOT JUST AS EMOTIONAL. YEAH, A LITTLE BIT A LITTLE BIT. YEAH. THIS IS GOING TO BE SUCH A HUGE ACCOMPLISHMENT AND JUST YOU FEEL SO PROUD TO BE DOING WORK IN THIS REGION IN THE DELTA. JASON MARKS KCRA THREE NEWS. AND THIS PROJECT WILL ALSO IMPROVE THE HABITAT FOR OTHER FISH, INCLUDING AN ENDANGERED SPECIES OF CHINOOK SALMON. AND IT SUPPORTS CRITICAL WATER