Brisbane, California — Brisbane residents who have driven down Lagoon Way recently might have noticed a change — the cement “Jersey Barriers” are gone from the shore of Brisbane Lagoon, and in their place are acres of new native plants, which are attracting flocks of water birds.

UPC removed the cement barriers, which were meant to keep cars from eroding the shores of the Lagoon, replaced them with cut logs and replanted the North shoreline of a multi-step plan to clean up and regenerate the Lagoon.

Much of the Brisbane Baylands to the north of the Lagoon was used as a landfill for household waste from the 1930s through 1967. As part of its effort to clean up pollution and remediate the Baylands, Universal Paragon took steps to prevent stormwater runoff from mixing with garbage in the former landfill and leaching into the Lagoon. To manage this runoff, UPC dug wells so that “leachate” from the landfill is captured and properly treated in San Francisco.

Here’s a photo of the lagoon shore and the leachate wells before we started revegetation. (August 2009)	And here’s the lagoon shore now (taken June 2010).

After the wells were completed, UPC planted several types of native grasses and wildflowers on the lagoon shore to stabilize the soil and create a more inviting habitat. The results are obvious. Dirt and concrete have given way to lush fields of grasses and wildflowers. Birds are flocking to the area, including Blue Heron, geese and other waterfowl.

View of Brisbane Lagoon today

Proposed Brisbane Baylands Interpretive Center