So say conservationists working to restore the natural twists and turns to the prominent Davis County stream, which serves as the primary water source for 10,000 acres of wetlands along the Great Salt Lake.

Years ago, the Army Corps of Engineers channeled the creek to boost agriculture but the project has failed to enhance the environment or farms, preservationists say.

"After [the creek] was put into a straight channel, it destroyed the bird habitat and created flooding for the farmers upstream and, basically, made a nightmare for the Davis County Mosquito Abatement District," said Chris Brown, project manager for the Nature Conservancy in Utah.

With the population in surrounding communities swelling by 65 percent during the past 20 years, preservationists deem the restoration project critical to the survival of dozens of bird species that use the Great Salt Lake as rest stop in their natural migration patterns.

The nonprofit organization, which operates a 4,000-acre preserve in west Kaysville, plans to spend $345,000 to restore the final mile of Kays Creek where it feeds into the lake. The group is seeking funding from the state's LeRay McAllister Critical Land Conservation Fund along with donations from organizations such as Ducks Unlimited to pay for the project.

"This is the first time at our Great Salt Lake Shorelands Preserve where the Nature Conservancy has gone beyond protecting habitat to actually trying to return it to its historic and natural state," Amanda Smith, the group's government-relations specialist, told the Davis County Commission, which passed a resolution Tuesday supporting the project.

The restoration work will strive to re-create the stream's natural meander and remove drainage structures that frequently plug with debris, spawning floods for the farms and homes upstream.

Finding the exact historical route of Kays Creek, however, might not be possible. Old photos of the stream are in short supply.

"We'll widen it and take the restrictions away and let the water take its own course," Brown said.

When the work is done, visitors will be able to peruse the property via a boardwalk that will complement Layton's work on a new trail system, connecting the city's foothills with the Great Salt Lake.

Preservationists say the public also could see some relief from mosquitoes in the area. Flooding caused by the blocked drains often leaves pools of stagnating water where the pesky bugs breed.

Residents are eager to have the creek improved.

"I'm told there is a lot of local lore surrounding Kays Creek," said Judy Dean, who moved to Kaysville four years ago. "This sounds like it might give the place some character because it isn't much to look at right now."

lorib@sltrib.com