842                              Laws of Maryland                       [Ch. 588

187.    It shall be the duty of the County Commissioners upon re-
ceipt of the watershed plan submitted pursuant to Section 186 to
appoint a Board of Watershed Viewers to be composed of three or
more judicious and impartial citizens, no one of which shall be the
owner of any land within the Watershed Association. Where the
lands described in the petition are located in two or more counties,
there shall be at least one member of the Watershed Viewers from
each county in which such lands are located. No person appointed as
a member of the Board of Watershed Viewers shall act in that
capacity until he has given the Board of County Commissioners
written notice of his acceptance of his appointment. The rate of
compensation of the Watershed Viewers shall be fixed by the Board
of County Commissioners.

188.    (a) The Board of Watershed Viewers upon receipt of a copy
of the plan from the County Commissioners shall engage the services
of competent and experienced private engineers or may use the
services of planners and engineers of local, State and Federal agencies
and with them shall go upon and view the lands described in the
watershed plan and works of improvement as laid out on the ground.
They shall make careful and thorough examination of the area to
determine the benefits to the lands within the Watershed Association
resulting from the proposed works of improvement and the damages
to lands resulting from the proposed project.

(b) The Board of Watershed Viewers shall consider any damages
arising from land taken or for inconvenience imposed by reason of
the construction of the proposed improvements, or by any other legal
damage sustained. Such damages shall be considered separate and
apart from any benefits that would result from the proposed im-
provements.

189.    (a) All lands within the Watershed Association shall be
assessed for the cost and expense of carrying out the proposed works
of improvement; and the said Board of Watershed Viewers shall
adjudge thereof, and shall assess against such lands respectively a
sum proportional to the benefits accruing thereto. In no case shall
the assessment against any tract of land exceed the benefits that will
accrue to such tract from the proposed improvement. The sums so
assessed shall be sufficient, less such amounts in funds or services as
may be received from the County Commissioners or from any other
source, to cover the costs of such works of improvement, the payment
of damages awarded (if any), the payment of compensations for
adopted improvements previously constructed (if any), the expenses
of the Board of Watershed Viewers, and the costs of establishing
the Watershed Association.

(b) Notwithstanding any other laws to the contrary, the County
Commissioners are authorized to contribute in funds, services, equip-
ment, or materials all or any part of the cost of any improvements
authorized under this sub-title from general funds of the county, or
to allocate for use for paying all or any part of the costs of any such
improvement or other funds which may become available for such
improvements.

190.    The Board of Watershed Viewers may adopt as the whole or
as a part of the watershed improvements to be provided under this
sub-title, any works of improvement already constructed. They shall