Wetland Study Proposed

Anita Weston, Reporter

Rich Civic Times 

GARDEN CITY, Utah.  November 13, 2014. Danny White, a wetlands specialist, reported to the Council the work that he has been doing along the lakeshore.  He is currently writing a report and applying to the federal government for a permit to allow the City to maintain the beach areas.  This permit would allow cultivation of the sandy and lake bed areas.  Lake bed areas are the areas where there is very little vegetation and/or sand and are easily approved.  All of the wetlands that contain special aquatic vegetation must be mitigated to be included in the beach maintenance program. 

When areas are mitigated, other locations must be found and traded for those areas that would be changed in any way.  It usually is a trade of two acres of new wetlands for one acre that is to be destroyed.   There are lots of phragmites along the lake shore, and here the government allows five acres of phragmites for one acre of mitigated land. 

Danny wanted to know how much the City wanted to mitigate and what areas needed to be include and/or excluded.  The Council asked that everything possible from below 200 North south to Blue Water Beach should be included.  There was approximately 330 acres that will be included in the permit.  Most of this area can be actively managed without much mitigation.  One of the most prime areas on the beach is below 150 South. 

It was noted that the City has a limited amount of money for beach management.  It was thought that perhaps people who live along the lakeshore would be willing to adopt areas near their homes to keep clean and cultivated.  If the permit is obtained, beaches can be plowed, harrowed, mowed, and so forth in order to keep them sandy and insect free. 

Danny noted that he would be willing to take the Council Members along the beach next spring to show them where the exact areas are located so that there would be no misunderstanding of what can be managed and what must be left as wetlands. 

If and when the lake comes up and stays up for a few years, areas there are currently known as wetlands will be choked out.  When the water goes back out, these areas could then be claimed as lake bed areas and added to what the City already has included in their permit.  This will much less costly than trying to mitigate more land at the present time. 

The motion was made and passed to fund White to finish his study, write it up, and submit it with the paperwork to request the federal permit.  Included in the motion was the tour for the Council Members in the spring.  Wight noted that the paperwork should be completed and will be submitted in early December to the federal government for the permit.

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