Article 9. Wetland Critical Areas
14.100.200 Wetlands Critical Areas—Designation.
A. Wetlands are those areas that are inundated or saturated by surface or ground water at a frequency and duration sufficient to support, and that under normal circumstances do support, a prevalence of vegetation adapted for life in saturated soil conditions. Wetlands generally include swamps, marshes, bogs and similar areas. Wetlands do not include those artificial wetlands intentionally created from nonwetland 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 nonwetland areas to mitigate the conversion of wetlands.
B. Wetlands shall be identified in accordance with the requirements of RCW 36.70A.175 and 90.58.380. Unless otherwise provided for in this chapter, all areas within the city meeting the criteria in the Approved Federal Wetland Delineation Manual and Applicable Regional Supplements, as amended, regardless of any formal identification, are hereby designated critical areas and are subject to the provisions of this chapter.
C. Wetlands shall be rated based on categories that reflect the functions and values of each wetland. Wetland categories shall be based on the criteria provided in the Washington State Wetland Rating System for Western Washington 2014 Update October 2014—Effective January 2015 (Ecology Publication No. 04-06-029). These categories are generally defined as follows:
1. Category I Wetlands. Category I wetlands are those wetlands of exceptional value in terms of protecting water quality, storing flood and stormwater, and/or providing habitat for wildlife as indicated by a rating system score of twenty-three (23) or more. These wetland communities of infrequent occurrence often provide documented habitat for critical, threatened or endangered species, and/or have other attributes that are very difficult or impossible to replace if altered.
2. Category II Wetlands. Category II wetlands have significant value based on their function as indicated by a rating system score of twenty (20) to twenty-two (22) points. They do not meet the criteria for Category I rating but occur infrequently and have qualities that are difficult to replace if altered.
3. Category III Wetlands. Category III wetlands have important resource value as indicated by a rating system score of sixteen (16) to nineteen (19) points.
4. Category IV Wetlands. Category IV wetlands are wetlands of limited resource value as indicated by a rating system score of less than sixteen (16) points. They typically have vegetation of similar age and class, lack special habitat features, and/or are isolated or disconnected from other aquatic systems or high quality upland habitats.