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 Legislation would increase size of MWCD Board of Directors The number of members of the Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District (MWCD) Board of Directors would increase and appointments to the board would be made by county commissioners, according to two amended bills pending before the Ohio General Assembly. The five-member Board of Directors would increase to nine members under terms of House Bill 47 and Senate Bill 170, each of which had committee hearings this week. Appointments to the Board, which by law are made by judges of the Conservancy Court that has jurisdiction over the MWCD, would shift to county commissioners in the 18-county region. The bills also would exempt churches and church-owned properties from paying any assessments levied by the MWCD for maintenance in the system of reservoirs and dams in the Muskingum River Watershed that reduce flooding and promote water conservation. John M. Hoopingarner, MWCD executive director/secretary, said that MWCD officials have been in discussions with state legislators over the past year since a flurry of bills were introduced to address the conservancy district's plans to levy an assessment and fund needed maintenance and safety repairs for the reservoirs and dams. "We've talked with legislators from throughout the MWCD region and the entire state in this process," Hoopingarner said. "We've had ongoing discussions with several legislators who have expressed concern about the governance structure of the MWCD." "Although we believe these amended bills represent progress in addressing concerns regarding conservancy district governance, we remain concerned that the bills single out MWCD and agree with other legislative members that conservancy district law as it applies to all conservancy districts should be a matter of comprehensive review. " According to media reports, the two bills could be voted on in the Ohio House of Representatives and Senate as early as next week. House Bill 47, originally authored by Rep. Bob Gibbs, R-Holmes County, has had numerous hearings in committee. Senate Bill 170, which is nearly identical to the House version, is sponsored by Sen. Ron Amstutz, R-Wayne County. The MWCD, a political subdivision of the state organized in 1933 to develop and implement a plan for flood reduction and water conservation in the Muskingum River Watershed, never has levied a maintenance assessment. According to the proposal, an estimated $10 million to $11 million annually would be generated from property owners in the MWCD region for projects to safeguard the system of reservoirs and dams originally constructed in the 1930s. National, state and local experts and agencies identified about $270 million worth of needed projects in the system that are the responsibility of the MWCD. The MWCD reports that the assessment and projects, including partnering programs with the federal government and other agencies and participants, will begin as early as 2008. The Conservancy Court will hold a session Aug. 1 to hear evidence to determine whether to confirm the appraisal of benefits in the MWCD's plan. Ohio law requires that conservancy districts demonstrate that the benefits resulting from the Official Plan of the MWCD will exceed the costs before a maintenance assessment may be levied. A formal benefit analysis prepared by a national watershed expert has reported that the estimated future benefits resulting from the Official Plan of the MWCD could reach as high as $2.5 billion, and up to a 16-to-1 ratio of economic return on the initial investment in specific projects. Estimated benefits accruing to date exceed that amount for flood reduction alone. Projected assessments can be reviewed online at the MWCD website at www.mwcd.org, and the MWCD also can be contacted toll-free at (877) 363-8500. The MWCD has projected that 94 percent of the estimated 500,000 parcels subject to the assessment would pay an annual fee of $12 per year. A large portion of the collected assessment funds, up to half of the $270 million total, would be used to meet federal cost-share obligations for safety repairs at several dams. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), which owns and operates the dams in the Muskingum River Watershed, estimates safety costs for maintenance of four dams (Beach City, Bolivar, Dover and Mohawk) and one levee (Zoar) on a federal priority list is between $510 million to $680 million, with a federally mandated cost-share obligation from the MWCD of between $95 million to $135 million. The MWCD manages the reservoir areas behind the dams in the Muskingum River Watershed, while the USACE owns and operates the dams. The reservoirs, some of which have permanent pools of water (lakes) for water conservation and recreation programs, hold floodwaters temporarily for safe release downstream during flooding conditions. Most of the remaining work to be completed in the MWCD maintenance plan also would be cost-shared with other agencies and would lead to the protection and creation of jobs in the region. Because of its relationship with the USACE and the income derived primarily from the recreational use and natural resources stewardship of its lands and waters, the MWCD never has levied an assessment. However, the rising costs associated with safety upgrades and maintenance in the system of reservoirs and dams are much more than the MWCD routinely can generate from its traditional revenue sources. The counties wholly or partially contained in the MWCD jurisdiction are Ashland, Belmont, Carroll, Coshocton, Guernsey, Harrison, Holmes, Knox, Licking, Morgan, Muskingum, Noble, Richland, Stark, Summit, Tuscarawas, Washington and Wayne. For more information about the MWCD, visit www.mwcd.org.
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