NAPA, Calif. (AP) -- Work has begun on the final phase of a massive, $25 million wetlands restoration project along the Napa River.

An excavator on Wednesday ripped through a barrier between the river and a 1,400-acre swath of former salt ponds on an island near the Napa County Airport. It's the final phase of the Napa-Sonoma Marshes Wildlife Area restoration project.

The goal is to re-establish a tidal plan on what used to be salt evaporation facilities operated by Cargill Inc.

About 5,000 acres have been restored since the early 1990s as part of the effort.

The final phase is being funded by federal stimulus funds. Officials say they hope to open the wetland's waterways and byways to the public within a year or two.

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Information from: San Francisco Chronicle, http://www.sfgate.com/chronicle

Copyright 2010 The AP.