The Neponset has been in culverts running beneath the parking lots surrounding Foxboro Stadium and the old Foxboro raceway for the past 50 years.

The restoration is part of what Patriots owner Robert Kraft called a desire to build the most environmentally-friendly stadium in the country.

The river will form the foundation of a new natural area with more than an acre of open water, four acres of vegetated wetland, three acres of vegetated upland, and 14 pools and ponds.

The CMGI Field will feature a new wastewater treatment facility, a new high pressure water district, and recycled water use. CMGI Field is the first stadium of its kind to adopt a system of recycling water. Planners expect the system will conserve close to 10 million gallons-per-year, or 60 percent of the water needed for the new stadium.

During construction, all usable materials are recycled for use on other aspects of the project. Trees, rocks and dirt cleared during construction were reused throughout other areas of the stadium grounds.

The 68,000 seat, $325 million stadium is the largest privately financed construction project in the history of New England.