17.10.075 Stream mitigation plan.
A mitigation plan shall be approved by the city prior to the issuance of any permits for development activity which proposes stream and/or buffer alteration, reduction, averaging, restoration, creation or enhancement. The mitigation plan shall:
A. Be prepared by a qualified professional using accepted methodologies; and
B. Include a baseline study that quantifies the existing functional values of the system, as well as functional values that may be lost, and the stream’s functional values after mitigation; and
C. Specify how functional values will be replaced; and
D. Specify when mitigation will occur relative to project construction; and
E. Specify any requirements or permits required by other agencies, and the status of those permits; and
F. Include provisions for adequate monitoring to ensure success of the mitigation plan. The monitoring plan shall outline the approach for monitoring construction of the mitigation project and for assessment of the completed project, and shall include a schedule. A monitoring report shall be submitted annually for five years to the department unless a more frequent time period is required as a condition of the permit, and shall document successes, problems and contingency actions of the mitigation project. Monitoring activities may include, but are not limited to:
1. Establishing vegetation plots to track changes in plant species composition and density over time;
2. Measuring base flow rates and stormwater runoff to model and evaluate hydrologic predictions;
3. Sampling fish and wildlife populations to determine habitat utilization, species abundance and diversity; and
4. Sampling surface and subsurface waters to determine pollutant loading, and changes from the natural variability of background conditions; and
G. Include a contingency plan specifying what corrective actions will be taken should the mitigation not be successful; and
H. Include provisions for an assurance device, which may include a bond, to assure that work is completed in accordance with the mitigation plan, and to assure that restoration or rehabilitation is performed in accordance with the contingency plan if mitigation fails within five years of implementation. (Ord. 3193 § 2, 2016)