three years – activities will be restricted to approximately April to November to avoid the rainy season and impact to migrating steelhead. During years two and three of construction, the Carmel River and San Clemente Creek will be diverted around the reservoir and dam site, and the reservoir will be emptied. Integrated Watershed Restoration Program (IWRP) The Integrated Watershed Restoration Program (IWRP; pronounced "I Werp") for Santa Cruz County was formed in 2002 as a county-wide effort to prioritize watershed restoration. The IWRP's objectives are to: Coordinate agencies on the identification, funding and implementation of watershed restoration projects Target proposals to critical projects supported by the resource agencies Facilitate higher quality designs at lower costs Simplify the permit process for watershed restoration Effect institutional change to improve watershed restoration efforts Develop a countywide outreach and education program Develop a monitoring program geared toward future project identification needs Develop additional assessments and plans Serve as a water restoration information hub for Santa Cruz county. The Conservancy awarded $4.5 million to the Resource Conservation District of Santa Cruz County in June 2003 to initiate Phase 1 of the IWRP focused on pre-implementation activities including designs and permits for nearly 100 critical watershed restoration projects in Santa Cruz County including expansion of rural roads, technical assistance programs, comparative lagoon ecological assessment projects, countywide outreach and education program development, watershed education activity and resource guides, and coordination of resources: annual watershed partner forum, reporting, website and technical assistance. South Bay Salt Pond Restoration Project The project is being headed by the state of California and the federal government to restore of Cargill's former salt ponds in San Francisco Bay. In October 2000, Cargill proposed to consolidate its operations and sell lands and salt production rights on 61 percent of its South Bay Operation area. Negotiations were headed by Senator Dianne Feinstein and a framework agreement was signed in May 2002 by the conservancy, the California Resources Agency, the Wildlife Conservation Board, the California Department of Fish and Game, United States Fish and Wildlife Service, Cargill and Senator Feinstein. California approved the purchase of the property on February 11, 2003. Invasive Spartina Project The Invasive Spartina Project is a coordinated regional effort among local, state and federal organizations dedicated to preserving California's extraordinary coastal biological resources through the elimination of introduced species of Spartina. Cordgrasses are highly aggressive invaders that significantly alter both the physical