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federal Water Resources Development Act of 1974 (Public Law 93-251). Addi- tionally, Section 73 of this Act required that all future federal flood protection projects consider non-structural flood prote~tion alternatives, including ". . . acquisition of flood plain lands for recreational, fish and wildlife, and other public purposes. . . with a view toward formulating the most economically, socially, and other environmentally acceptable means of reducing or pre- venting flood damages." In order to preseIVe these wetlands, the Corps proposed to pur!=hase them, a potentially controversial idea. ,Working with the Citizen's Advisory, Committee, the Corps held information meetings to build public support for the Natural Valley Storage concept. The 'Charles River Watershed Association'also assisted by developing a series of public newsletters. As a result, no major opposition developed. ~NNOVATIVE ASPECTS, Land Purchases and Easements The wetland areas were held by more than five hundred individual owners. The Corps purchased parcels at fair market value, based on real estate ap- praisals. Owners who preferred not to sell their lands .could grant easements to the Corps. The owner retained the title, but could, not alter the land in any way that ~ould affect its flood storage potential. Ultimately, the Corps pur- chased only 3,250 acres outright, and acquired easements on 4,860 acres at considerably reduced cost., - Tax Base Compensation The Massachusetts legislature author- ized reimbursements to local com- munities for the loss of tax revenues from lands transferred to federal ownership for,flood protection. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is authorized to make annual payments to cities and towns, based on the tax , rate at the time the land was a,c- quired, anc! on the average assessed valuation for five years prior to the taking. These rates are re-examined and revised on a regular basis. Easements and acquisition~ of wetlands we:e completed in 1984. The Corps , holds title or easements on the Natural Valley Storage areas; later, leases were arranged to allow the Massachusetts ' .Department of Fisheries to use some of , the areas. The Department of Fisheries , manages the wetlands as wildlife ref- uges, enforcing laws, stocking fish and . , improving wildlife habitat. ACCOMPLISHMENTS TIlE NATURAL VALLEY storage concept was tested by near-record flooding in 1979 and again in 1982. Th'e wet- lands performed effectively each time, absorbing flood surges and then . . gradually passing them downstream. The Corps of Engineers estimates that the wetlands provide storage for 50,000 acre-feet of water, the volume of a typical. New England reseIVoir. Natural Valley Storage areas are also owned by several other state agencies. The Department of Environmental Man- agement owns a state 'park on land transferred from the Medfield State Hospital; the Metropolitan District ,'Commission owns Cutler Pa'rk; and the Department of Corrections owns a~ area adjacent to the Massachusetts ' Correctional Institute. Total acquisition costs were about $iO million. This compared very favorably to the estimated $100 million that would have been 8 I'