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<br /> <br />Kittitas County Shoreline Master Program <br />Chapter 5 60 <br />March 7, 2016 <br />Kittitas County Board of County Commissioners Shoreline Master Program Adopting Ordinance <br />Kittitas County Shoreline Master Program Exhibit A | March 2016 | Page 60 of 339 <br />1. Designation: Wetlands are those areas that are inundated or saturated by surface or <br />ground water at a frequency and duration sufficient to support, and that under <br />normal circumstances do support, a prevalence of vegetation typically adapted for <br />life in saturated soil conditions. Wetlands generally include, but are not limited to, <br />swamps, marshes, bogs, ponds, and similar areas. Wetlands do not include those <br />artificial wetlands intentionally created from non-wetland sites, including, but not <br />limited to, irrigation and drainage ditches, grass-lined swales, canals, detention <br />facilities, wastewater treatment facilities, farm ponds, and landscape amenities, or <br />those wetlands created after July 1, 1990, that were unintentionally created as a <br />result of the construction of a road, street, or highway. Wetlands may include those <br />artificial wetlands intentionally created from non-wetland areas to mitigate the <br />conversion of wetlands. <br /> <br />2. Mapping: The approximate location and extent of wetlands are shown on maps <br />maintained by the County. These maps are useful as a guide for project applicants, <br />and/or property owners but do not provide a conclusive or definitive indication of <br />wetland presence or extent. Other wetlands may exist that do not appear on the <br />maps, and some wetlands that appear on the maps may not meet all of the wetland <br />designation criteria. <br /> <br />3. Delineation: Wetlands shall be identified and delineated by a qualified wetlands <br />professional in accordance with the most current approved federal wetland <br />delineation manual and applicable regional supplements. This professional shall <br />field stake, flag or mark the on-site wetland boundary to aid the County in reviewing <br />the development proposal. The County may require the on-site wetland boundary to <br />be surveyed by a professional land surveyor. The County may require an applicant <br />to identify the approximate location or presence of any wetlands within three <br />hundred (300) feet of a proposed development site. Wetlands that occur or extend <br />beyond the boundaries of the development site, onto adjoining properties, do not <br />need to be flagged or formally delineated but their general location must be <br />disclosed in order to assess wetland buffer impacts. <br /> <br />4. Categorization and rating: Wetlands shall be rated based on categories that reflect <br />the functions and values of each wetland. Wetlands shall be identified, rated, <br />categorized, and delineated by a qualified wetland professional in accordance with <br />the current version of the Washington State Wetland Rating System for Eastern <br />Washington, the procedure outlined in WAC 173-22-035, and the appropriate rating <br />forms approved by the Washington State Department of Ecology. These categories <br />are generally defined as follows: <br /> <br />a. Category I wetlands: Category I wetlands are those that represent a unique or <br />rare wetland type, are more sensitive to disturbance than most wetlands, are <br />relatively undisturbed and contain ecological attributes that are impossible or too <br />difficult to replace within a human lifetime, and provide a high level of functions. <br />The following types of wetlands are Category I: