"There have been years when we've had excessive snowpack and didn't have any flooding at all," McInerney said. "And we've had other years that have had near normal snowpack that caused all sorts of problems."

Still, preparedness is always a plus, he said.

Naylor drafted the proposal for a countywide flood-control program and first presented it in November to the Utah County Council of Governments, a body of elected leaders from Utah County and its cities and towns. With 15 new mayors joining the COG in 2006, Naylor said he decided repeating the presentation was necessary and did so earlier this month.

Naylor also highlighted three areas of potential problems: the overused Dry Creek basin; the Provo River with its collection of dead trees; and the Santaquin debris basin, which lacks an overflow channel.

The prevalent response from officials at both meetings: A countywide flood-control program would be beneficial to all — but how do we pay for it?

The county is proposing a property tax increase of 0.01 percent — a difference of $15 a year on a $150,000 home or $20 on a $200,000 home. That flood-control tax would raise an estimated $1.4 million per year, Naylor said.

At that rate, the county would reach the desired level of preparedness in seven to eight years, he said. In addition, a secondary source of funding would be sought through state and federal grants, as well as fees charged to developers whose projects affect storm water levels.

Though a handful of mayors voiced concerns about raising property taxes, the members of the government council on both occasions unanimously supported the county's continued investigation of the problem.

"The challenge is, it wasn't raining when Noah built the ark," said Larry Ellertson, chairman of the Utah County Commission. "Part of the challenge is getting the idea of looking forward so we're prepared when it does happen."

Such preparations, Naylor said, would include making sure major channels and debris basins are well-maintained and functioning effectively.

Springville Mayor Gene Mangum said that's too much to ask cities to do on their own.

City employees and volunteers have worked to clean and maintain the area of Hobble Creek that runs through Springville, and Mangum said that portion alone has been a "tremendous job."

"If you stop and think how far up the canyon that goes and how far out toward the lake it goes, there's a lot of help we can use from somebody — the county or whoever," he said. "Just doing it within the city is more than we can wrap our arms around."

Under the proposal, the county would be responsible for designated flood-control facilities such as debris basins, rivers, streams and major outfalls that run through multiple jurisdictions. Responsibility for collection systems and outfalls contained within city limits would fall to the respective cities.

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