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Kittitas County, WA § 17A.07.010 CRITICAL AREAS § 17A.07.020 Downloaded from https://ecode360.com/KI6857 on 2025-05-15 CHAPTER 17A.07 WETLANDS § 17A.07.010. Purpose and intent. The purpose of this Chapter is to maintain the biological and physical functions and values of wetlands with respect to groundwater recharge and discharge, water quality, stormwater and floodwater retention, storage and conveyance, fish and wildlife habitat conservation areas, recreation, and education. (Ord. 2021-016, 2021) § 17A.07.020. Designation, mapping, delineation, and categorization. 1. Designation. Wetlands are those areas that are inundated or saturated by surface or groundwater at a frequency and duration sufficient to support, and that under normal circumstances do support, a prevalence of vegetation typically adapted for life in saturated soil conditions. Wetlands generally include, but are not limited to, swamps, marshes, bogs, ponds, and similar areas. Wetlands do not include those artificial wetlands intentionally created from non-wetland sites, including, but not limited to, irrigation and drainage ditches, grass-lined swales, canals, detention facilities, wastewater treatment facilities, farm ponds, and landscape amenities, or those wetlands created after July 1, 1990, that were unintentionally created as a result of the construction of a road, street, or highway. Wetlands may include those artificial wetlands intentionally created from non-wetland areas to mitigate the conversion of wetlands. 2. Mapping. The approximate location and extent of wetlands are shown on maps maintained by the County, most current National Wetland Inventory (NWI), and other best available science sources. These maps are useful as a guide for project applicants and/or property owners but do not provide a conclusive or definitive indication of wetland presence or extent. Other wetlands may exist that do not appear on the maps, and some wetland areas that appear on the maps may not meet all of the wetland designation criteria. The County shall update the maps periodically as new wetland areas are identified and as new wetland information becomes available. 3. Delineation. The County may require the applicant to identify the location or presence of any wetlands within two hundred fifty (250) feet of a proposed development. Wetlands shall be identified and delineated by a qualified wetland professional in accordance with the approved federal wetland delineation manual and applicable regional supplements. This professional shall field stake, flag or otherwise mark the wetland boundary to aid the County in reviewing the development proposal. The County may require the on-site wetland boundary to be surveyed by a professional land surveyor. Wetlands that occur outside of or extend beyond the boundaries of the development site, onto adjoining properties, do not need to be flagged or formally delineated but their general location must be determined and disclosed in order to assess wetland buffer impacts. 4. Categorization. Wetlands shall be categorized by a qualified wetland professional in accordance with the current version of the Washington State Wetland Rating System for Eastern Washington and the appropriate rating forms approved by the Washington State Department of Ecology. These categories are generally defined as follows a. Category I wetlands are those that represent a unique or rare wetland type, are more sensitive to disturbance than most wetlands, are relatively undisturbed and contain ecological attributes that are impossible to replace within a human lifetime or provide a high level of functions. Category I wetlands include: