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Show That Strange Odor Is From The Great Salt Lake By CHERYL ARCHIBALD Review Correspondent n FARMINGTON One said, It smells like a corn field when the com is ripe. Another opinion was that it smelled like rose insecticide dust. A man described it as an earthy, rotten odor. The third came nearest to naming the cause of an aroma that has wrinkled noses from the northern part of Salt Lake County to the south end of Weber County. For the past two or three weeks, the Davis County Health Department has been besieged per-so- with callers probably holding their phones with one hand and their noses with the other wanting to know about air quality. Richard Harvey, director of Environmental Health and Laboratories Division at the Davis Health Department said that the odor might cause stomachaches because of what the person perceives the smell to be, but that there is not enough concentration of gases in the air to make people sick. There could be psychological! but no physiological illnesses, he said. He said that decompostion of organic material in the Great Salt Lake from the causeway, along the eastern shore of the lake southward is the cause of the problem. He explained that when the causeway was built, it cut off the flow of the lake from north to south. Fresh water streams and canals enter the lake south of the causeway, and 70 percent of the population of the state empties its treated sewage into the southern portion of the lake. As a result, Farmington Bay water has become less salty. Algae have grown in the shallow areas, and as Harvey said, The algae gets thick and uses up oxygen, and the warm waters wont hold as much oxygen. With the depleted oxygen, the algae die and sink to the bottom, causing a septic, anaerobic condition. As the algae decompose, hydrogen sulphide gases are released, which are often called rotten egg gases. The reason there is no pronounced rotten egg smell is that there are other gases to modify it. We used to get an ocean smell from the lake, but for the last four or five years, as the salinity is reduced, its been different, Harvey said. There are several other factors working together to create the strong smell experienced recently. One is that the lake level has risen and flooded fields and vegetation, causing them to rot. And another factor is the humidity which seems to hold the odors in the air. Harvey said the smell will be less noticeable in the fall when the weather turns cold once again. But he had suggestions on how to eliminate the problem, and recommended that officials raise the salinity of the lake by opening more flow through areas in the causeway. That would inhibit the massive growth of or ganisms of the whole area, which is just like soup. He said that a meeting is planned between state health, park, and other officials to solve some of the problems. The area is so active with organisms, that it should be closed for any recreational purposes. he said. Even though there is no raw sewage being dumped into the lake, the amount of treated sewage is so much greater now be- cause of the greater population, that Harvey said there is just as much organic material entering the lake now as when it was all raw sewage. QxJlb feravnt? QSttm nmtlim V. Vol. 3No. 50 Wednesday, August 17, 1983 On Barnard Avenue Talks Fail, Residents Threaten To Stop Road Construction By RON KNOWLTON Review Staff to the road because the situation was allowed to continue by the A group of city. CENTERVILLE residents in Centerville may file a lawsuit against the city to block construction of a concrete road on Barnard Avenue. The city wants the concrete road so it can use the street as a flood control channel during flooding on Barnard Creek. The Barnard Avenue residents claim the creek does not run through their property and question why their street should be used in case of flooding. They suggest the city look at other, alternatives. But the Centerville City Council, during an Aug. 2 meeting, unanimously approved construe- -' tion of the $125,000 road. - - . Mayor Neil Blackburn said the city planned to open bids on the road Aug. 16. He said construction would begin shortly thereafter. Barnard Avenue was damaged in June when Barnard Creek began overflowing its banks. Resi. dents who live near the creek blocked the creek from above and sent the water down Barnard Avenue, impacting property owners there, charges Linda Murdock, who lives on the But Blackburn said the city was justified in allowing the flood waters to continue running down the street. He said the street was seen by city officials as the only prudent alternative to losing several homes. When the city council decided, how the road should be repaved,, the city decided to replace the asphalt road (torn out by flood waters) with a concrete road. Should Barnard Creek overflow its banks again, water will be routed down Barnard Avenue. Blackburn said he feels this is the only prudent thing to do for all the taxpayers. - He said several federal agencies have offered assistance to build the road. One agency is considering funding the entire project, which would mean the city would not need to dip into local tax monies to repair the road. He said if the residents do obtain an injuction against building the concrete road I think the residents (of Barnard Avenue) will suffer miserably. He said residents not only will Manager To Retire RON KNOWLTON anxious to get the street rebuilt, Blackburn said. He said he has tried his best to respond to the concerns of the neighbors. He said that he and other council members have met with the residents of the street on numerous occassions, sometimes even calling special city council meetings. Some of the meetings were even held on holidays and on Saturdays, Black- burn said. Weve Review Staff ul done everything we can to gather the facts and make a prudent deci- sion. He said opponents of the concrete street were asked to bring a petition of property owners to the council from all of the residents on the street.' He said so far this has not been done.-H- e said opposition has mainly come from several outspoken and emotional residents. Im interested to see the interest and response from the rest of the homeowners in the area, Blackburn said. Katalin Sheplor, another resident on Barnard Avenue, said the council has not seriously considered other alternatives to the concrete street. Ms. Murdock said Barnard continue to have poor access to also is not listed on a federenue their homes on the damaged street. al map as a flood plain area. A Instead of returning the water street, but also the city will not concrete however, would to its creek channel, the city al- be able get emergency vehicles mean a road, in the streets stachange such as fire trucks and ambuAv- lowed the situation to continue, she said. Barnard Avenue resi- V tus. lances up the street. We just feel like the mayor Also the city will be unable to dents are considering a separate lawsuit against those who blockprovide snowplow service to the hasnt been honest with us. street during the winter months, Where were not a flood plain ed the creek, she said. area, why make us a flood plain She said the city bears much of Blackburrn said. This is why weve been so area now? she asked. the responsibility for the damage Staff photo by Itodnoy Wright the air on a hot summers day on a a is pleasure for many motorcycle enthusimotorcycle asts. There are few summer days left, however, as fall is just around the corner. FLYING THROUGH County May Move Bountiful Power and Light Bond Election Plans Future of Substation . BARRY KAWA Review Staff FARMINGTON Davis County commissioners hope a n dollar bond special election originally planned for November to finance improvements in county flood control facilities can be moved up to late multi-millio- -- BOUNTIFUL Cliff acting manager for the citys power department, has recommended (hat the northeast power substation be rebuilt south and west of its original location. Cost of the reconstruction is estimated at $226,440. Appearing to request that the substation not be rebuilt at that location was Bountiful resident James Richardson. He asked that the commission reconsider moving the substation to another site. He expressed several concerns, including devaluation of his property if the substation is not made to blend aesthetically with the natural surroundings and possible contamination of his property by PCBs as happened in the June flood situation. cto Richardson expressed his appreciation to Michaelis and Berfor their ry Hutchings considerable help during the recent flooding. He commended them for their efficiency and cooperation. But, Richardson said, he would not be happy living next to a substation. He has looked at the substation on 1800 South and does not find it aesthetically pleasing and fears a similar situation adjacent to his property. Michaelis replied that the 1800 South situation is a temporary one as the vjnes and shrubs planted to landscape the substation there were inadvertently sprayed with the wrong chemical that killed the plants. Richardson invited council members to visit the northeast substation site so that they can view firsthand the property and what has been proposed for it. He said that he has lived at his home for nine years and has maintained and enjoyed the area during that time. Right now the city is operating without the substation so delay of a decision for another month will not jeopardize utility operations. The substation will need to be back on line, however. so that power in other areas may be cut over to it before other needed, changes and improvements in the system can be made. The commission agreed to delay a decision on reconstruction of the substation pending a visit hv its members to the area. costs by consolidating several voting districts at one location and would take advantage of good weather in the fall, said Saunders. The proposed projects will be paid back by the countys current levy, said Commissioner Harold J. Tipflood-contr- ol petts. The county annually assesses a flood control tax that Commission Chairman Glen E. Saunders said areas of the raises approximately $800,000 a projects. county are presently vulnerable year for to flash storms and an extra This year the tax was increased month or two saved may be crit- to 3 mills. Tippetts said if the ical in getting the projects under county is successful in paying for the bond with this levy, there way. The estimated $15 million would not have to be a tax incounty-wid- e projects would in- crease. The commissioners are curclude debris basins, new channels, check dams, enclosed pipes rently considering bonding proand channel retention basins. posals of several companies and Saunders said he doubts if the a decision will be made shortly county could be ready for a vote on.dhe selection of one. After in the September primary elec- thlst decision is made, then the tions but could have an election commissioners will push for a late September voting date, ready by late September. A snrrinl election would save ... Sanders said. September. two-mi- ll flood-contr- ol Fair Days Index Seasons Start Davis County Fair will be held at Lagoon Classified 6B.7B Home Living ;2B The 1983 high school football season officially began Monday with opening pracIB tices. Fairgrounds week. this 2A BOUNTIFUL Negotiations between former Bountiful Light and Power Department Manager W. Berry Hutchings and Bouti-fCity officials have broken off. Hutchings said the Bountiful City Council rejected several recommendations he made as a condition to his remaining with the department. He said he is now in the process of phasing down his duties with the department. Hutchings announced his early retirement from the department after 30 years as power manager in June citing a lack of confidence by the Bountiful City Council as the reason for the early retirement notice. In July four members of the Bountiful Power commission (which acts as an advisory board to the coucil on power matters) asked the council to keep Hutchings on as manager. But Hutchings told members of the city council that drastic changes would need to be made in the department before he would agree to stay on. He asked that the council remove the delegated duties it has assigned to the city manager over the department and give those duties to the power commission. He also asked that three members of the city council serve on the power commission and that the commission's role revert from an advisiory board to that of an administrative function over the power department. Hutchings said all of his recommendations were rejected and thats why Im leaving. Mayor Dean Stahle said the council has not tried to force Hutchings out of his position as power manager, but has been willing to negotiate. Stahle said he hoped Hutchings would still remain available to the power department in the future for important discussions and consultations on power mat- Sports IB ters. Hutchings said the decision for his leaving the department was their (the city councils) deci- sion, not mine. He also rejected an offer to remain as a consultant after all of his recommendations were turned down by the city council. Hutchings said he didnt have any personal gains to make as a result of the changes, but that the changes he recommended would help to better the operation of the department. In a letter earlier made public, Hutchings said he hoped the public would mandate the changes he was proposing during an upcoming election if the pnimril jf'ii'ptpr(fhr'QPpl'ianonc , |