KCC 17A_Critical Areas Ordinance Draft

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Kittitas County,WA § 17A.04.020 KITTITAS COUNTY CODE § 17A.04.030 per KCC 17A.02.620 ors confirmed by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. The existing maps showing the locations of fish and wildlife habitat conservation areas are coarse- scaled,and for planning purposes only.A survey performed by a qualified biologist may be necessary to determine the precise boundary of a habitat area. Unless otherwise defined in this Chapter, the boundary of aquatic habitats shall be the ordinary high water mark of the waterbody,the channel migration zone, or the active floodplain,whichever is greater. The management recommendations for Washington's priority habitats and species or federal equivalent should be used as a tool for identifying and delineating fish and wildlife habitat boundaries'. The County may waive this requirement if there is adequate information available on the area proposed for development to determine the impacts of the proposed development and appropriate mitigating measures per KCC 17A.04.070. 4. Waters of the state classification. For purposes of this Chapter, Kittitas County hereby adopts the water typing system specified in WAC 222-16-030, as described below: n. Type S: all waters,within their ordinary high water mark, meeting the criteria as "shorelines of the state" and"shorelines of statewide significance"under RCW Chapter 90.58. The current list of Shoreline waters,along with their specific shorelines environments,is provided in the Kittitas County Shoreline Master Program(KCC Title 17B). Type S streams and lakes are protected by the Shoreline Master Program,rather than through this Title. o. Type F: segments of natural waters other than Type S Waters, which are within the bankfull widths of defined channels and periodically inundated area of their associated wetlands, or within lakes, ponds, or impoundments having a surface area of 0.5 acre or greater at seasonal low water and which in any case contain fish habitat. p. Type Np: all segments of natural waters within the bankfull width of defined channels that are perennial non-fish habitat stream. Perennial stream waters do not go dry any time of a year of normal rainfall. However, for the purpose of water typing, Type Np Waters include the intermittent dry portions of the perennial channel below the uppermost point of perennial flow. q. Type Ns: All segments of natural waters within the bankfull width of the defined channels that are not Type S, F, or Np waters. These are seasonal, non-fish habitat streams in which surface flow is not present for at least some portion of a year of normal rainfall and are not located downstream from any stream reach that is a Type Np,F or S Water.Ns Waters must be upstream from and physically connected by an above-ground channel system to Type S,F,or Np Waters. [WAC 222-16-030] (Ord. 2021-016,2021) § 17A.04.030. Riparian management zones and buffers. 1. Purpose. Riparian Management Zones (RMZs) and Buffers shall be established and maintained to protect fish and wildlife habitat conservation areas. RMZs refer to areas established and maintained to protect streams and are designated as a FWHCA per KCC 17A.04.020(1)(c). Buffers refer to areas established and maintained to protect nonaquatic fish and wildlife habitat conservation areas. 2. RMZ Measurement. RMZs for streams shall be measured in all directions from the ordinary high water mark(OHWM),the channel migration zone(CMZ)or active floodplain,as identified consistent with BAS and site specific conditions. RMZ width shall be either the site-specific Site Potential Tree Height(SPTH)or 100 feet,whichever is greater,consistent with BAS for pollution removal and Volume 'For terrestrial species,those management recommendations include,but are not limited to,Washington Department of Fish &Wildlife's "Management recommendations for Washington's priority habitats;riparian"(1997). For aquatic species, those management recommendations include,but are not limited to,Washington Department of Fish&Wildlife's "Riparian Ecosystems, Volume 1:Science Synthesis and Management Implications"and "Riparian Ecosystems, Volume 2: Management Recommendations"(2020). Downloaded from https:Hecode360.com/KI6857 on 2025-05-15