From the grassy slope west of downtown, where dignitaries gathered for a groundbreaking ceremony Thursday, the murky waters of Buffalo Bayou were barely visible beneath its steep banks.

That's expected to change dramatically, leaders of the nonprofit Buffalo Bayou Partnership said. In a project launched Thursday, the banks will be "laid back," or regraded, to produce a more gradual slope and improve the sight lines. The partnership said the $15 million project is expected to be completed by September 2005.

Improved visibility and better access to the bayou are among the goals for Sabine-to-Bagby Park, one of the first major projects to get under way as part of the Buffalo Bayou Master Plan.

The master plan is a 20-year, $800 million effort to redevelop the stream from Shepherd on the west to Lockwood on the east.

Pedestrians who want to stroll along the bayou often find it hard to reach, or they start down trails or walkways that abruptly end. The plan for Sabine-to-Bagby Park includes 12 new access points to the bayou from the street, as well as additional hike-and-bike trails.

The project also will include construction of a bulkhead with steps along the water's edge, decorative lighting, native landscaping, public art and signs to help pedestrians find their way.

Mayor Bill White said the park will be the master plan's "anchor" project, generating momentum for other projects that will integrate the bayou into the daily life of people downtown and in nearby neighborhoods.

"This city was born along the bayou , and I think its rebirth is going to happen along the bayou ," White said.

Kevin Shanley, president of the Bayou Preservation Association, said the Buffalo Bayou improvements are contributing to a broad change in attitudes about Houston's waterways. Local residents traditionally have regarded the bayous as something to be passed over en route to more interesting destinations.

Shanley noted that Harris County Commissioner Jerry Eversole is sponsoring development of a 10-mile-long wilderness park along Spring Creek on the county's north side. The project will include trails, signs and other amenities.

"There's a growing interest in our community in turning our rivers and our bayous into a tremendous resource," Shanley said.

In addition to making it easier to see and reach the bayou , the Sabine-to-Bagby Park improvements will inhibit erosion of its banks and increase its capacity to carry floodwaters, said Aaron Tuley, planning director for the Buffalo Bayou Partnership.

Because the bayou tends to rise rapidly after heavy rains, lights, signs and other new features will be designed to withstand flooding, Tuley said.

Partnership President Anne Olson, whose group commissioned the master plan and is overseeing the work, said other elements are moving forward. Contractors are completing work on hike-and-bike trails east of downtown, she said, and a second phase of improvements to Allen's Landing will begin this fall.

. . .

Sources of funds for the $15 million Sabine-to-Bagby Park:

City of Houston: ... $9.3 million.

Texas Department of Transportation: ... $2.2 million.

Harris County Flood Control District: ... $500,000.

Foundation gifts to the Buffalo Partnership: ... $3 million.