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Show Commission gets pep talk project along the Jordan river In addition, Carter said wetland areas are natures way to help control con-trol flooding. As flood waters build, they overflow existing waterways and fill wetland areas. The wetland acts as a temporary storage tank for the excess water and helps slow the runoff of flood waters. If the wetlands are destroyed, explained Carter, "you'll have more frequent floods, and they'll be of greater magnitude." Along with the ecological impact im-pact of violating and destroying wetland areas, Carter pointed out the ACOE has the authority to slam offenders with a substantial fine of up to $50,000 per day for every day of the violation to a maximum fine of $3 million. "The end of the violation is when the land is returned to normalcy," he said. "That could take a long time." In addition, violators could be imprisoned for up to three years for disregarding the regulations. Carter said the ACOE recognizes recog-nizes the need for flood control and is not trying to prevent action which is beneficial to the general community. commu-nity. "We just try to minimize the impact " he said. "We don't see the protection of wetlands as an inhibitor inhib-itor to flood control, we just want to minimize damage." After the presentation, Davis County Commissioner Gayle Stevenson Ste-venson said his view of wetlands and the ACOE had been changed. There is a definite public value to the wetlands," he said. There's a developing attitude between local officials and the ACOE to resolve the problems of flood control and protecting the environment. Carter emphasized that anyone, including local governments, planning plan-ning to build or alter wetlands in the state must contact the ACOE and obtain a permit. By SCOTT SUMMERILL The Davis County Commission and the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers Engi-neers (ACOE) have started down the road of cooperation regarding flood control measures in Davis County. At Monday's commission meeting, meet-ing, ACOE representative Brook Carter explained the corps purpose and authority for conserving wetlands wet-lands under Section 404 of the U. S. Clean Water Act. According to Carter, the section gives the ACOE the authority to control and regulate any dumping of fill material or dredging in rivers, lakes, streams and wetlands. He explained that Utah, though not traditionally considered wetland area, does indeed have such land. "It's kind of hard to understand when you're walking across dry ground that it's wetland," he said. "But, it is." According to ACOE standards, wetlands are determined by examining exam-ining three different parameters. The first is the presence of peat-type peat-type soil. The second parameter is hydrolysis. Simply, hydrolysis is the presence of water seepage in a shallow hole. It occurs when ground water is close to the surface. Lastly, the growth of wetland vegetation such as floating plants and certain types of grasses and reeds will also give the area a wetland classification. classifica-tion. Carter explained the protection of wetland areas is vital to the environment and well-being of the entire community. "Wetlands provide a natural filtering fil-tering system for water. If you run water polluted by pesticides and road salts through a wetland area, it will come out the other end virtually virtu-ally pure," heexplained while showing show-ing the commission slides of such a |