Most of the Great Salt Lake shoreline in Davis County is owned by private groups, including The Nature Conservancy and duck clubs that want to preserve and protect wetlands and habitat. The rest is privately owned by individuals, and cities have zoned it for agriculture or low-density housing.

"All of the pieces of property around the lake are like pearls in a necklace," Carter said. "We add this one pearl, and it helps to create this large necklace that protects the wetlands."

Restoring habitat

UDOT has years of work, however, before the Legacy preserve is an effective buffer, said Dr. Heidi Hoven, a SWCA plant biologist and wetland ecologist who is in charge of creating a detailed plan to enhance habitat within the preserve. Years of misuse have introduced non-native plants to the area, Hoven said, and the preserve is dry and spotted with yellowing weeds.

Five years ago, UDOT removed about 3,000 dump-truck loads of old tires, railroad ties, cement, metal poles, agricultural tools and garbage, said UDOT spokeswoman Bethany Eller.

By enhancing habitat, the land will serve a "higher ecological function," Hoven said, where shorebirds like the Wilson's phalarope will use it as a resting stop during migration.

Work has already been done to remove some weeds from the area, either with chemicals or with goats that eat the plants. In parts of the preserve where eagles are known to nest, a crew came in with a backhoe last fall, removed the weeds and then spread native seeds.

Other plans call for drilling artesian wells in part of the preserve to help create 12 acres of wetlands. The wells tap into underground aquifers and use pressure to force that water to the surface. Crews have also worked to restore old flood channels from the Jordan River, using the water to help create habitat.

The Jordan River is one of three major rivers that flow into the Great Salt Lake. It begins at Utah Lake, then flows northward, entering the Great Salt Lake at Farmington Bay.

Much of the preserve won't look like a typical wetlands area, according to Mike Perkins, environmental-oversight manager for Legacy. Because of its location, it won't be saturated with water year-round, which helps create the green, lush environment that most people associate with wetlands.

The preserve instead will have a more arid type of wetland known as playa. Different shorebird species live in this habitat than those that use wetlands that have standing water year-round.

About 6 million birds stop at the Great Salt Lake each year to rest during migrations from Canada to South America. UDOT has identified 10 species that are a priority to attract to the preserve, including bald eagles and long-billed curlews.

Heileson, who spent at least nine years fighting against original plans for Legacy, said the road being built today is an example of how all roads should be built: with the environment always in mind.

"You had a 330-foot right-of-way and a 260-foot slab of freeway going as an airport runway down through the wetlands," Heileson said. "Now you have slower speeds, quiet pavement, a meandering parkway. And we're creating some wetlands."

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E-mail: nwarburton@desnews.com