HomeMy WebLinkAboutD_Exemption_Trails_DecisionDEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY
AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
D_Exemption_Trails_Decision
PLANNING DIVISION
CERTIFICATE OF EXEMPTION
FROM CRITICAL AREAS REGULATIONS
EVALUATION FORM & DECISION
DATE OF DECISION: June 14, 2022
PROJECT NUMBER: LUA22-000144, CAE
PROJECT NAME: Canopy PUD Pedestrian Trails CAE
PROJECT MANAGER: Matt Herrera, Current Planning Manager
APPLICANT/CONTACT: Holli Heavrin
Core Design, HHH@coredesigninc.com
OWNER: Ben Paulus
Blue Fern Development, LLC, 18300 Redmond Way, Unit 120, Redmond, WA 98052,
PROJECT LOCATION: 4196 Lincoln Pl NE, Renton, WA 98056
PROJECT DESCRIPTION: The applicant is requesting a Critical Areas Exemption to construct pedestrian trail
improvements within critical areas and critical area buffers associated with an approved preliminary Planned
Urban Development (PUD) and preliminary plat application. The applicant received entitlements (LUA19-000223)
to construct a 55-lot residential subdivision located at 4196 Lincoln Ave NE, 4130 Lincoln Ave NE, 2020 NE 40th St
(APNs 3345700020, 3345700017, 3345700015, 3345700018, 3345700016) on November 20, 2020. Portions of the
trail located within unimproved right-of-way abutting the western boundary of the project encroach into a
Category IV wetland and its buffer (Wetland D) and a Type NP stream and its buffer (Stream S). The Hearing
Examiner decision included condition of approval #28 that requires the applicant to submit an exemption request
for pedestrian trails that will encroach into critical areas and their buffer.
The applicant’s pedestrian trail proposal subject to a Critical Areas Letter of Exemption includes an alignment
within the unimproved right-of-way along the site’s eastern boundary continuing north and connecting to an
existing pedestrian pathway within an unimproved portion of NE 43rd St. The proposed trail would be similar to
the existing trail within NE 43rd St as a majority of the alignment would consist of wood chips underlain with filter
fabric. The trail would be approximately five (5) feet in width and field fit to avoid trees. The trail would extend
into the wetland and stream buffer. A portion of the trail would extend into Wetland D via a boardwalk supported
with pin piles. The trail would also cross Stream S via a six (6) foot wide foot bridge. The proposed trail was
identified as a public benefit associated with the PUD decisional criteria. The applicant’s preliminary planned urban
development decision included approved mitigation for impacts to critical areas and their buffers to construct the
proposed residential development, which include the pedestrian trail alignment within the unimproved right-of-
way.
CRITICAL AREA: Category IV Wetland and Type Np Stream
DocuSign Envelope ID: AC93AC96-23C9-407A-AD8C-ABF7C947B8E5
City of Renton Department of Community & Economic Development Certificate of Exemption From Critical Areas Regulations
Canopy PUD Pedestrian Trails CAE LUA22-000144, CAE
Permit Date: June 14, 2022 Page 2 of 5
D_Exemption_Trails_Decision
EXEMPTION JUSTIFICATION: Pursuant to RMC 4-3-050C.3.e.ii the construction of new trails are an exempt activity
and permitted within wetlands, Type Np streams, and their associated buffers. Critical area and required buffer
impacts are required to be minimized and disturbed areas must be restored during and immediately after the use
of construction equipment. The use of heavy construction equipment would not be considered an exempt activity.
The applicant has not indicated the need for heavy construction equipment to install the trail improvements. The
critical area and mitigation plan (Attachment) notes that impacts would be minimized during construction and
disturbed areas would be restored to preconstruction conditions immediately after installation.
Additionally, RMC 4-3-050C.4 walkways and trails located within wetland and Type Np stream buffers on public
property are allowed and exempt activity per the following criteria:
1. The trail, walkway, and associated open space shall be consistent with the Parks, Recreation, and Natural
Areas Plan. The City may allow private trails as part of the approval of a site plan, subdivision or other land
use permit approvals.
2. Trails and walkways shall be located in the outer twenty five percent (25%) of the buffer, i.e., the portion
of the buffer that is farther away from the critical area. Exceptions to this requirement may be made for:
a. Trail segments connecting to existing trails where an alternate alignment is not practical.
b. Public access points to water bodies spaced periodically along the trail.
3. Enhancement of the buffer area is required where trails are located in the buffer. Where enhancement of
the buffer area abutting a trail is not feasible due to existing high quality vegetation, additional buffer area
or other mitigation may be required.
4. Trail widths shall be a maximum width of twelve feet (12'). Trails shall be constructed of permeable
materials which protect water quality, allow adequate surface water and ground water movements, do
not contribute to erosion, are located where they do not disturb nesting, breeding, and rearing areas, and
designed to avoid or reduce the removal of trees. Impervious materials may be allowed if pavement is
required for handicapped or emergency access, or safety, or is a designated nonmotorized transportation
route or makes a connection to an already dedicated trail, or reduces potential for other environmental
impacts.
5. Any crossing over a stream or wetland shall be generally perpendicular to the critical area and shall be
accomplished by bridging or other technique designed to minimize critical area disturbance. It shall also
be the minimum width necessary to accommodate the intended function or objective.
The proposed trail system is an amenity that was approved as part of the preliminary PUD and preliminary plat
application. Due to the width of the unimproved right-of-way, location of the wetland and stream, and the
connection to the existing NE 43rd trail connection, the trail alignment cannot be located within the outside 25-
percent of the buffers and must cross a portion of Wetland D and Stream S. To mitigate impacts to the wetland
and stream resulting from the subdivision improvements that include the trail system within the unimproved right-
of-way, the applicant proposes to enhance approximately 1,356 square feet of Wetland D and create approximately
2,305 square feet of buffer addition. A net gain of 210 square feet of buffer addition would be achieved. The
applicant would also provide approximately 2,695 square feet of buffer addition for Stream S with a net gain of 60
square feet of buffer area.
The proposed trail would be five (5) feet in width and consist of wood chips underlain with filter fabric and would
be field fit in order to avoid tree removal. The wood chip trail would formalize a walking path along the unimproved
right-of-way lessening the impact to the critical areas while providing clear identification of a safe footing route to
the existing pathway along the unimproved NE 43rd St right-of-way. No impervious surfaces would be constructed.
A boardwalk is proposed over the crossing of Wetland D. The boardwalk would be constructed of slatted decking
DocuSign Envelope ID: AC93AC96-23C9-407A-AD8C-ABF7C947B8E5
City of Renton Department of Community & Economic Development Certificate of Exemption From Critical Areas Regulations
Canopy PUD Pedestrian Trails CAE LUA22-000144, CAE
Permit Date: June 14, 2022 Page 3 of 5
D_Exemption_Trails_Decision
to allow precipitation to move through the structure and supported by pin piles. The design minimizes impacts to
the wetland, avoids any filling or grading, and provides greater footing in wet areas. The wetland crossing would
be located over the shortest distance of wetland due to the right-of-way constraints. A proposed bridge six (6) foot
wide bridge with concrete decking designed to meet Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW)
stream crossing guidelines would cross Stream S. The stream crossing would be perpendicular to Stream S.
The mitigation plan did not include details or cut sheets of the proposed boardwalk or bridge. Therefore staff
recommends as a condition of the approval the applicant submit detail sheets that include construction
specifications for the installation and maintenance of the proposed boardwalk and bridge. Additionally, the
applicant shall include all necessary agency approvals (e.g. Army Corps, WDFW, Department of Ecology, etc) for
their use.
FINDINGS: The proposed development is consistent with the following findings pursuant to RMC section
4-3-050C.2.d:
i. The activity is not prohibited by this or any other provision of the Renton Municipal
Code or State or Federal law or regulation;
Staff Response: The proposed pedestrian trail is a public benefit that is required a
component in the applicant’s approved preliminary planned urban development
decision. Trail alignments within the noted critical areas and their buffers noted above
are not prohibited within Renton Municipal Code, State, or Federal laws or regulations.
ii. The activity will be conducted using best management practices as specified by industry
standards or applicable Federal agencies or scientific principles;
Staff Response: The proposed trail would be limited to feet in width and consist of wood
chips and filter fabric to lessen impacts in and around critical areas. Additionally, the
alignment will be “field fit” within the unimproved right-of-way in order to avoid tree
and high quality vegetation disturbance and/or removal. A slatted decking boardwalk
across the eastern portion of Wetland D will allow precipitation to move through the
structure. The pedestrian bridge crossing will be designed to meet WDFW stream
crossing guidelines.
iii. Impacts are minimized and, where applicable, disturbed areas are immediately
restored;
Staff Response: Impacts would be minimized utilizing a field fit alignment as noted
above. Heavy construction equipment to construct the trail would not be needed due to
the limited material composition. Disturbed areas would be limited to the area within
trail alignment.
iv. Where water body or buffer disturbance has occurred in accordance with an exemption
during construction or other activities, revegetation with native vegetation shall be
required;
DocuSign Envelope ID: AC93AC96-23C9-407A-AD8C-ABF7C947B8E5
City of Renton Department of Community & Economic Development Certificate of Exemption From Critical Areas Regulations
Canopy PUD Pedestrian Trails CAE LUA22-000144, CAE
Permit Date: June 14, 2022 Page 4 of 5
D_Exemption_Trails_Decision
Staff Response: Buffer impacts associated with the trail construction were identified in
the preliminary planned urban development application and mitigated with onsite
buffer and wetland enhancement.
v. If a hazardous material, activity, and/or facility that is exempt pursuant to this Section
has a significant or substantial potential to degrade groundwater quality, then the
Administrator may require compliance with the Wellhead Protection Area
requirements of this Section otherwise relevant to that hazardous material, activity,
and/or facility. Such determinations will be based upon site and/or chemical-specific
data.
Staff Response: The site is not located with a Wellhead Protection Area. The proposed
trail construction and its use does not have a significant or substantial potential to
degrade groundwater quality.
DECISION: An exemption from the Critical Areas Regulations is hereby Approved with Conditions*
*CONDITIONS OF APPROVAL:
Prior to the start of trail construction, the applicant shall submit as a resubmittal to the civil construction permit
application (C21000838) detail sheets that include construction specifications for the installation and maintenance
of the proposed boardwalk and bridge. Additionally, the applicant shall include all necessary agency approvals (e.g.
Army Corps, WDFW, Department of Ecology, etc) for their use, if required. Detail sheets, specifications, and any
needed agency approval shall be reviewed and approved by the Current Planning Project Manager prior to the
start of trail construction.
SIGNATURE & DATE OF DECISION:
________________________________________ ____________________________________
Vanessa Dolbee, Planning Director Date
RECONSIDERATION: Within 14 days of the decision date, any party may request that the decision be reopened by the
approval body. The approval body may modify his decision if material evidence not readily discoverable prior to the
original decision is found or if he finds there was misrepresentation of fact. After review of the reconsideration request,
if the approval body finds sufficient evidence to amend the original decision, there will be no further extension of the
appeal period. Any person wishing to take further action must file a formal appeal within the 14-day appeal time frame.
APPEALS: This administrative land use decision will become final if not appealed in writing to the Hearing Examiner
on or before 5:00 PM on June 28, 2022. An appeal of the decision must be filed within the 14-day appeal period (RCW
43.21.C.075(3); WAC 197-11-680). Due to the ongoing state of emergency enacted by Governor’s Proclamation 20-
05, the City Clerk’s Office is working remotely. For that reason, appeals must be submitted electronically to the
City Clerk at cityclerk@rentonwa.gov or delivered to City Hall 1st floor Lobby Hub only on Tuesdays and/or
Wednesdays. The appeal fee, normally due at the time an appeal is submitted, will be collected at a future date if
your appeal is submitted electronically. Appeals to the Hearing Examiner are governed by RMC 4-8-110 and
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6/14/2022 | 2:12 PM PDT
City of Renton Department of Community & Economic Development Certificate of Exemption From Critical Areas Regulations
Canopy PUD Pedestrian Trails CAE LUA22-000144, CAE
Permit Date: June 14, 2022 Page 5 of 5
D_Exemption_Trails_Decision
additional information regarding the appeal process may be obtained from the City Clerk’s Office,
cityclerk@rentonwa.gov.
EXPIRATION: Five (5) years from the date of decision (date signed).
Attachment: Critical Areas Studay and Conceptural Mitigation Plan dated July 14, 2021, prepared by Wetland Resources
Environmental Consulting
cc:
DocuSign Envelope ID: AC93AC96-23C9-407A-AD8C-ABF7C947B8E5
CRITICAL AREAS STUDY & CONCEPTUAL
MITIGATION PLAN
FOR
BLUE FERN DEVELOPMENT – CANOPY
CITY OF RENTON, WA
Wetland Resources, Inc. Project #18158
Prepared By
Wetland Resources, Inc.
9505 19th Avenue SE, Suite 106
Everett, WA 98208
(425) 337-3174
Prepared For
Blue Fern Development, LLC
Attn: Evan Mann
11232 120th Ave NE, Suite 204
Renton, WA 98033
July 9, 2018
Revision #2 February 16, 2021
Revision #3: July 14, 2021
ATTACHMENT
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ii
THIS PAGE IS INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK
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iii
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1.0 INTRODUCTION .........................................................................................................................1
1.1 SITE DESCRIPTION ..............................................................................................................................1
1.2 PROJECT DESCRIPTION ......................................................................................................................2
2.0 CRITICAL AREAS DETERMINATION REPORT ............................................................................3
2.1 PUBLICLY AVAILABLE DATA ...............................................................................................................3
2.2 WETLAND & STREAM DETERMINATION METHODOLOGY ...............................................................4
2.3 WETLAND & STREAM BOUNDARY DETERMINATION FINDINGS ......................................................5
3.0 GEOLOGIC HAZARDS .................................................................................................................8
4.0 WETLAND & STREAM BUFFER AVERAGING ...............................................................................9
4.1 STREAM BUFFER AVERAGING ............................................................................................................9
4.2 WETLAND BUFFER AVERAGING .......................................................................................................10
5.0 PROPOSED IMPACTS .................................................................................................................12
5.1 WETLAND IMPACTS ...........................................................................................................................12
5.2 BUFFER IMPACTS ...............................................................................................................................13
6.0 PROPOSED PEDESTRIAN TRAIL ................................................................................................14
7.0 MITIGATION SEQUENCING ......................................................................................................15
8.0 MITIGATION PLAN ...................................................................................................................17
8.1 WETLAND ENHANCEMENT ...............................................................................................................17
8.2 BUFFER ENHANCEMENT ...................................................................................................................18
9.0 FUNCTIONS AND VALUES ASSESSMENT ...................................................................................20
9.1 EXISTING WETLAND CONDITIONS ..................................................................................................21
9.2 POST CONSTRUCTION WETLAND FUNCTIONS AND VALUES .........................................................22
10.0 PROJECT NOTES .....................................................................................................................22
11.0 PLANTING NOTES ...................................................................................................................23
12.0 PROJECT MONITORING PROGRAM ........................................................................................26
12.1 REQUIREMENTS FOR MONITORING PROJECT: ..............................................................................26
12.2 MONITORING REPORT CONTENTS ...............................................................................................26
13.0 PROJECT SUCCESS & COMPLIANCE .......................................................................................27
13.1 CRITERIA FOR SUCCESS .................................................................................................................27
13.2 DEFINITION OF SUCCESS ................................................................................................................27
14.0 MAINTENANCE .......................................................................................................................28
15.0 CONTINGENCY PLAN .............................................................................................................29
16.0 FENCING & SIGNAGE ..............................................................................................................29
17.0 COST ESTIMATE & SURETY DEVICE ......................................................................................30
18.0 USE OF THIS REPORT ............................................................................................................31
19.0 REFERENCES ..........................................................................................................................14
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iv
LIST OF FIGURES
FIGURE 1 - AERIAL VIEW OF THE SUBJECT PARCEL. .........................................................................1
LIST OF TABLES
TABLE 1 - SUMMARY OF STREAM S BUFFER WIDTH AVERAGING ..................................................10
TABLE 2 - SUMMARY OF WETLAND BUFFER WIDTH AVERAGING ...................................................11
LIST OF APPENDICES
APPENDIX A: U.S. CORPS OF ENGINEERS WETLAND DETERMINATION DATA FORMS
APPENDIX B: DEPARTMENT OF ECOLOGY WETLAND RATING FORMS
APPENDIX C: CRITICAL AREAS STUDY AND CONCEPTUAL MITIGATION MAPS (SHEETS 1-3/3)
APPENDIX D: SLOPE ANALYSIS FIGURES (SHEET 1/1)
DocuSign Envelope ID: AC93AC96-23C9-407A-AD8C-ABF7C947B8E5
Critical Area Study & Conceptual Mitigation Plan Wetland Resources, Inc. #18158
Blue Fern Development – Canopy 1 Revision 3: July 14, 2021
1.0 INTRODUCTION
Wetland Resources, Inc. (WRI) conducted site investigations on May 23 and 24, 2018 to locate
wetlands and streams on and in the vicinity of the investigation area, which is composed of five
King County tax parcels (3345700015, 3345700016, 3345700017, 3345700018, 3345700020).
The site is approximately 10.1-acres, located at and adjacent to 8314 110th Pl SE and 4130 Lincoln
Ave NE in the City of Renton, Washington (Section 32, Township 24N, Range 5E, W.M.). Access
is via a driveway from Lincoln Ave NE. The body of this report presents finding regarding the
wetlands and streams on-site. The Geotechnical Report included in Appendix E.
1.1 SITE DESCRIPTION
The investigation area is located within the May Creek sub-basin of the Cedar River/Lake
Washington Watershed (WRIA 8). Lake Washington is approximately 3,000 feet west of the
subject property. Surrounding land use is mixed, including residential, commercial, and industrial
uses; with I-405 approximately 1,100 feet to the west. The site is partially developed; in the south,
there are multiple single-family residences and associated infrastructure, while the northern portion
contains naturally vegetated pasture and forested areas. Topography slopes steeply to the west,
and, according to King County iMap, is underlain by high erosion hazard areas, with slopes in
excess of 20 percent.
- Aerial view of the subject parcel.
Four wetlands (Wetlands A through D) and one stream (Stream S) were identified within the
investigation area.
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Critical Area Study & Conceptual Mitigation Plan Wetland Resources, Inc. #18158
Blue Fern Development – Canopy 2 Revision 3: July 14, 2021
Pursuant to Renton Municipal Code (RMC), on-site wetlands were classified under the Washington
State Wetland Rating System for Western Washington: 2014 Update (Hruby 2014). Wetlands A through D
are classified as Category IV wetlands. Per RMC (7)(a) Stream S was classified based on the WAC
222-16-030. As such, Stream S is classified as a Type Np Stream. Per 4-3-050(G)(2), Category IV
wetlands typically receive 50-foot buffers (when adjacent to non-low impact land uses) and Type
Np streams typically receive 75-foot buffers.
In addition, geological hazards were identified on-site by the geotechnical engineer, Terra Associates,
Inc. Geological hazards identified include protected slopes, high erosion hazard area, and low
seismic hazard area. Per RMC 4-3-050G(2), protected slopes require a 15 foot structure setback.
1.2 PROJECT DESCRIPTION
The applicant is proposing to develop a 56-lot residential development and associated
infrastructure. To accommodate this development, the applicant will do a combination of buffer
width averaging and wetland/buffer impacts, to be mitigated for on-site. As a result of required
frontage improvements and stormwater infrastructure, the applicant will permanently impact the
entirety of Wetland A (and a portion of an associated ditch), totaling 1,585 square feet, and a small
portion (240 square feet) of Wetland B’s buffer. In addition, the applicant will utilize buffer
averaging to accommodate the proposed development adjacent to Wetland B, Wetland D, and
Stream S.
As mitigation for the impacts, the applicant is proposing a combination of on-site and off-site
mitigation. A portion of the compensation (meeting City of Renton requirements) for Wetland A
impacts will be provided by enhancing the entirety of the on-site portions of Wetlands B and D
(totaling 4,865 square feet). This exceeds the 3:1 (enhancement to impact) ratio for Category IV
wetlands, per RMC 4-3-050(J)(4)(c).
The aforementioned impact to the buffer of Wetland B will be mitigated for via enhancement of
700 square feet of buffer located between Wetland B and Lincoln Ave NE (exceeding the 1:1
mitigation to impact ratio required by RMC 4-3-050(J)(4)(d)). To accommodate Stream S buffer
width averaging, the applicant proposes to enhance a 6,788 square feet of stream buffer, per RMC
4-3-050(I)(2)(b)(v).
As part of the proposed development the City of Renton is requiring an on-site and off-site trail to
connect the development to the City of Newcastle’s pedestrian trail located along the NE 43rd
Street right-of-way, north of the subject property. The off-site portion of the trail will be located
within the unopened right-of-way of 112th Avenue SE, that parallels the eastern property
boundary. The trail shall be 5 feet wide, with the majority consisting of wood chips underlain with
filter fabric, and will be field fit to avoid trees. The trail will cross portions of wetland, stream, and
buffer. Per RMC 4-3-050C(3) and RMC 4-3-050C(4), trails are exempt and allowed within critical
areas and their associated buffers as long as they meet certain requirements. The portion of trail
crossing the wetland will consist of a boardwalk and supported by pin piles. The slatted decking of
the boardwalk and grated top of the dock will allow precipitation to move through the structure.
This design minimizes impacts to the wetland and aquatic area and avoids any fill or grading within
the wetland. Disturbance within the wetland will be limited to vegetation impacted for boardwalk
DocuSign Envelope ID: AC93AC96-23C9-407A-AD8C-ABF7C947B8E5
Critical Area Study & Conceptual Mitigation Plan Wetland Resources, Inc. #18158
Blue Fern Development – Canopy 3 Revision 3: July 14, 2021
installation. This portion of the trail will impact approximately 134 square feet of vegetation
associated with Wetland D. To mitigate for any temporal loss of vegetation from installation of the
boardwalk, buffer enhancement of a portion of Wetland D’s on-site buffer is proposed at a 3:1
enhancement to impact ratio. The bridge proposed over Stream S will be approximately 6 feet
wide and will consist of concrete slabs and metal railings. The crossing will be consistent with
WDFW stream crossing guidelines.
2.0 CRITICAL AREAS DETERMINATION REPORT
2.1 PUBLICLY AVAILABLE DATA
Prior to conducting the site investigation, public resource information was reviewed to gather
background information on the subject parcels and the surrounding area in regards to wetlands,
streams, and other critical areas. These sources included the following:
• USDA/NRCS Web Soil Survey shows 2 soil units underlying the subject property: Ragnar-
Indianola association, (moderately steep, sloping) and Alderwood gravelly sandy loam (8-
15 percent slopes, 15-30 percent slopes).
• WDFW SalmonScape Interactive Mapping System does not show any hydrologic features on the
subject property. The closest mapped feature is May Creek, shown approximately 1,500
feet to the west.
• USFWS National Wetlands Inventory (NWI) does not show any features on the subject property.
The closest mapped feature is May Creek, shown in the same location shown by
SalmonScape.
• WDFW Priority Habitat and Species (PHS) Interactive Map does not show any priority species or
habitats on the subject parcel or in the near vicinity.
• King County iMap shows steep slopes encumbering the majority of the subject properties. No
other critical areas are mapped on-site. May Creek is shown approximately 1,800 feet off-
site to the south.
• City of Renton Maps of Your Community (CRM) shows a wetland in the central region of the
subject property, as well as an unnamed, Type F stream off-site to the north of the subject
property (originating in the mapped wetland). A stormwater ditch is mapped in
approximately the same location as Stream S. It appears that this stormwater ditch (Stream
S) originates off-site, west of the development located near the intersection of SE 80th St
and 115th Ave SE. The stormwater ditch (Stream S) then flows through the mapped
wetland, eventually meeting the off-site Type F stream. Off-site, multiple wetlands are
shown to the west of Lincoln Ave NE and May Creek is mapped over 1,000 feet to the west
of the site.
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Critical Area Study & Conceptual Mitigation Plan Wetland Resources, Inc. #18158
Blue Fern Development – Canopy 4 Revision 3: July 14, 2021
2.2 WETLAND & STREAM DETERMINATION METHODOLOGY
The OHWM of streams in the investigation area were identified using the methodologies described
in the Washington State Department of Ecology (DOE), Determining the Ordinary High Water Mark for
Shoreline Management Act Compliance in Washington State (Anderson et al. 2016). The Washington State
Shoreline Management Act (SMA) defines ordinary high water mark as,
“…that mark that will be found by examining the bed and banks and ascertaining where the presence and
action of waters are so common and usual, and so long continued in all ordinary years, as to mark upon the
soil a character distinct from that of the abutting upland, in respect to vegetation as that condition exists on
June 1, 1971, as it may naturally change thereafter, or as it may change thereafter in accordance with
permits issued by a local government or the department: PROVIDED, that in any area where the ordinary
high water mark cannot be found, the ordinary high water mark adjoining salt water shall be the line of
mean higher high tide and the ordinary high water mark adjoining fresh water shall be the line of mean high
water.”
Wetland boundaries were determined using the routine approach described in the Corps of
Engineers Wetlands Delineation Manual (Environmental Laboratory 1987) and the Regional
Supplement to the Corps of Engineers Wetland Delineation Manual: Western Mountains, Valleys,
and Coast Region (Version 2.0) (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 2010). Under the routine
methodology, the process for making a wetland determination is based on three steps:
1.) Examination of the site for hydrophytic vegetation (species present and percent cover);
2.) Examination of the site for hydric soils;
3.) Determining the presence of wetland hydrology
The following criteria must be met in order to make a positive wetland determination:
2.2.1 Hydrophytic Vegetation Criteria
The Corps Manual and 2010 Regional Supplement define hydrophytic vegetation as “the
assemblage of macrophytes that occurs in areas where inundation or soil saturation is either
permanent or of sufficient frequency and duration to influence plant occurrence.” Field indicators
are used to determine whether the hydrophytic vegetation criteria have been met. Examples of
these indicators include, but are not limited to, the rapid test for hydrophytic vegetation, a
dominance test result of greater than 50%, and/or a prevalence index score less than or equal to
3.0.
2.2.2 Soils Criteria and Mapped Description
The 2010 Regional Supplement (per the National Technical Committee for Hydric Soils) defines
hydric soils as soils “that formed under conditions of saturation, flooding, or ponding long enough
during the growing season to develop anaerobic conditions in the upper part.” Field indicators are
used to determine whether a given soil meets the definition for hydric soils. Indicators are
numerous and include, but are not limited to, presence of a histosol or histic epipedon, a sandy
gleyed matrix, depleted matrix, and redoximorphic depressions.
DocuSign Envelope ID: AC93AC96-23C9-407A-AD8C-ABF7C947B8E5
Critical Area Study & Conceptual Mitigation Plan Wetland Resources, Inc. #18158
Blue Fern Development – Canopy 5 Revision 3: July 14, 2021
According to the NRCS Web Soil Survey, 2 soil map units are predicted to occur on the subject
property: Ragnar-Indianola association (moderately steep, sloping) and Alderwood gravelly sandy
loam (8-15, 15-30 percent slopes).
Ragnar-Indianola series (moderately steep, sloping) is described as moderately well drained
on outwash plains. The surface layer is typically a dark brown fine sandy loam about two inches
thick. The upper part of the subsoil is dark brown and brown sandy loam about 22 inches thick.
Included in this unit are areas of Everett, Indianola, Pastik and Wilson soils on terraces and
outwash plains. Other small inclusions may be areas of Everett, Indianola, and Ragnar soils on
terraces and outwash plains.
Alderwood Gravelly Sandy Loam (8-15 percent slopes, 15-30 percent slopes), is described as
a moderately well drained soil on till plains. It is moderately deep over a hardpan. This soil formed
in glacial till. Typically, the surface layer is very dark grayish brown gravelly sandy loam about 7
inches thick. The upper part of the subsoil is dark yellowish brown and dark brown very gravelly
sandy loam about 23 inches thick. Included in this unit are small areas of soils that have a stony
or bouldery surface layer and areas of McKenna soils, Norma soils, and Terric Medisaprists in
drainageways on plains. Also included are small areas of Everett, Indianola, and Ragnar soils on
terraces and outwash plains. Included areas make up about 15 percent of the total acreage.
Permeability of this soil is moderately rapid above the hardpan and very slow through it. Available
water capacity is low.
2.2.3 Hydrology Criteria
The 2010 Regional Supplement defines wetland hydrology as “areas that are inundated (flooded
or ponded) or the water table is less than or equal to 12 inches below the soil surface for 14 or more
consecutive days during the growing season at a minimum frequency of 5 years in 10.” During the
early growing season, wetland hydrology determinations are made based on physical observation
of surface water, a high water table, or saturation in the upper 12 inches. Outside of the early
growing season, wetland hydrology determinations are made based on physical evidence of recent
inundation or saturation (i.e. water marks, surface soil cracks, water-stained leaves).
2.3 WETLAND & STREAM BOUNDARY DETERMINATION FINDINGS
2.3.1 Wetland A
Cowardin Classification: Palustrine, Forested, Broad-leaved Deciduous, Saturated Only.
City of Renton Classification: Category IV (low wildlife function)
City of Renton Buffer: 50-feet
Wetland A is a slope wetland located in the northwestern corner of the investigation area, along
the western boundary of the subject property. Dominant vegetation within the wetland includes:
red alder (Alnus rubra; FAC), Himalayan blackberry (Rubus armeniacus; FAC), and reed canarygrass
(Phalaris arundinacea; FACW). The majority of the dominant species rate “facultative” or wetter,
indicating that a hydrophytic vegetative community is present. Typical soils in Wetland A
extending from 0 to 16 inches below the surface are generally a black (7.5YR 2.5/1) with a loam
texture. At the time of the May 2018 investigation, soils were saturated to the surface with a water
table observed at 9 inches below the soil surface. In addition, secondary indicators of wetland
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hydrology Geomorphic Position (D2) and FAC-Neutral Test (D5) were observed. Despite the lack
of visible indicators, the soils within Wetland A are considered hydric due to presence of
hydrophytic plant community and strong presence of hydrology, and it is possible that the soils
meet the Thick Dark Surface (A12) indicator. This determination is based on best professional
judgment.
Given the hydrophytic community, hydric soils, and presence of hydrology, the area mapped as
off-site Wetland A meets the criteria for a wetland.
Wetland A is associated with a ditch that does not meet the characteristics of a stream, per WAC
222-16-030, as it lacks a defined bed or bank and is densely vegetated by reed canarygrass. The
originates within Wetland A, traveling off-site (south to north), east of Lincoln Ave NE. It is
conveyed beneath Lincoln Ave NE to the west via a culvert (WDFW Site ID #934106).
2.3.2 Wetland B
Cowardin Classification: Palustrine, Forested, Broad-leaved Deciduous, Saturated.
City of Renton Classification: Category IV (low wildlife function)
City of Renton Buffer: 50-feet
Wetland B is a slope wetland located in the west-central region of the investigation area, along the
western boundary of the subject property. Dominant vegetation within the wetland includes: red
alder (Alnus rubra; FAC), black cottonwood (Populus balsamifera; FAC) Himalayan blackberry (Rubus
armeniacus; FAC), giant horsetail (Equisetum telmateia; FACW), and lady fern (Athyrium filix-femina;
FAC). The majority of the dominant species rate “facultative” or wetter, indicating that a
hydrophytic vegetative community is present. Within the wetland, from 0 to 8 inches below the
surface, soils are generally a black (10YR 2/1) and a sandy loam texture. The sublayer is a very
dark gray (10YR 3/1) with dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) redoximorphic features and a sandy
loam texture. These soils meet the Redox Dark Surface (F6) hydric soil indicator. At the time of
the May 2018 investigation, soils were saturated at 9 inches below the soil surface. Secondary
indicator of wetland hydrology, Geomorphic Position (D2), was also observed.
Given the hydrophytic community, hydric soils, and presence of hydrology, the area mapped as
off-site Wetland B meets the criteria for a wetland.
2.3.3 Wetland C
Cowardin Classification: Palustrine, Scrub-Shrub, Broad-leaved Deciduous, Saturated.
City of Renton Classification: Category IV (moderate wildlife function)
City of Renton Buffer: 50-feet
Wetland C is a slope wetland located in the northeastern corner of the investigation area and
associated with Stream S (Type Np). Dominant vegetation within the wetland includes: Himalayan
blackberry (Rubus armeniacus; FAC), salmonberry (Rubus spectabilis; FAC), skunk cabbage (Lysichton
americanus; OBL), and giant horsetail (Equisetum telmateia; FACW). The majority of the dominant
species rate “facultative” or wetter, indicating that a hydrophytic vegetative community is present.
Within the wetland, from 0 to 9 inches below the surface, soils are generally a very dark gray (2.5Y
3/1) and a sandy loam texture. The sublayer is a black (Gley 1 4/N) with olive brown (2.5Y 4/4)
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redoximorphic features and a sandy loam texture. These soils meet the Depleted Below Dark
Surface (A11) and Loamy Gleyed Matrix (F2) hydric soil indicators. At the time of the May 2018
investigation, soils were saturated to the surface with a water table visible at 9 inches below the soil
surface. Secondary indicator of wetland hydrology, FAC-Neutral Test (D5), was also observed.
Given the hydrophytic community, hydric soils, and presence of hydrology, the area mapped as
off-site Wetland C meets the criteria for a wetland.
2.3.4 Wetland D
Cowardin Classification: Palustrine, Scrub-Shrub, Broad-leaved Deciduous, Saturated Only.
City of Renton Classification: Category IV (low wildlife function)
City of Renton Buffer: 50-feet
Wetland D is a slope wetland located in the east-central region of the investigation area, along the
eastern boundary. Wetland D extends off-site to the east. Dominant vegetation within the wetland
includes: red alder (Alnus rubra; FAC), a variety of prunus (Prunus sp.), Himalayan blackberry (Rubus
armeniacus; FAC), Sitka willow (Salix sitchensis; FACW), and fowl manna grass (Glyceria striata;
OBL). The majority of the dominant species rate “facultative” or wetter, indicating that a
hydrophytic vegetative community is present. Within the wetland, from 0 to 8 inches below the
surface, soils are generally a very dark brown (10YR 2/2) and a clay loam texture. From 8 to 11
inches, soils are a very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) with very dark brown (7.5YR 2.5/3)
redoximorphic features and a clay loam texture. The bottommost layer sampled, from 11 to 17
inches depth, is a dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) with very dark brown (7.5YR 2.5/3)
redoximorphic features and a clay loam texture. These soils meet the Depleted Below Dark Surface
(A11) hydric soil indicator. At the time of the May 2018 investigation, soils were saturated at 8
inches below the soil surface. In addition, secondary indicator, FAC-neutral Test (D5), was
observed.
Given the hydrophytic community, hydric soils, and presence of hydrology, the area mapped as
off-site Wetland D meets the criteria for a wetland.
2.3.5 Non-wetland Areas
In non-wetland areas, vegetation includes: red alder (Alnus rubra; FAC), bigleaf maple (Acer
macrophyllum; FACU), beaked hazelnut (Corylus cornuta; FACU), Himalayan blackberry (Rubus
armeniacus; FAC), English holly (Ilex aquifolium; FACU), bracken fern (Pteridium aquilinum), giant
horsetail (Equisetum telmateia; FACW), reed canarygrass (Phalaris arundinacea; FACW), and sword fern
(Polystichum munitum; FACU). Typical soils from soils in areas mapped as upland were a very dark
brown (10YR 3/2) with a sandy loam texture in the upper layer. In the sublayer, soils were
generally dark brown to dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/3, 10YR 4/3) and a sandy loam texture.
Soils in area mapped as non-wetland were dry at the time of the May 2018 site investigation. This
typical soil profile does not meet any hydric soil indicators.
No hydrological indicators were observed in the non-wetland areas adjacent to the on-site
wetlands. Given the lack of a hydrophytic vegetation community, wetland hydrology, and hydric
soils, the areas mapped as non-wetland do not meet the criteria for wetlands.
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2.3.6 Stream S
Cowardin Classification: Riverine, Upper Perennial, Unconsolidated Bottom, Cobble-Gravel.
City of Renton Classification: Type Np
City of Renton Buffer: 75-feet
Stream S is located in the northeastern region of the investigation area, associated with Wetland
C. At the time of the May 2018 site investigation, Stream S was flowing, had an average width
greater than 2 feet, and exhibited bed and bank characteristics. Based on precipitation preceding
the site investigations, WRI believes that Stream S is a perennial feature.
Stream S originates off-site to the east of the subject property and is mapped as a stormwater ditch.
City of Renton Maps of Your Community (CRM) shows Stream S starting west of the residential
development located around the intersection of SE 80th St and 115th Ave SE. Once on-site, Stream
S flows northeast to southwest, exiting the subject property to the north, where it meets an
unnamed, Type F stream. This Type F stream travels east to west, both aboveground and via
multiple pipes, until discharging to Lake Washington (known fish/salmonid habitat). Salmonscape
indicates that a total fish passage barrier (dam) exists between the aforementioned Type F stream
and Lincoln Ave NE, on King County Tax Identification Parcel 3345700005.
CRM indicates that Stream S is underlain by high erosion hazard area (soils having severe erosion
potential and slope greater than 15 percent). WRI’s slope analysis (see Appendix D) shows that
multiple segments of Stream S (downstream of Wetland C) flow down steep slopes (greater than 20
percent).
Based on information gathered from publicly available resources, on-site observations, and WRI’s
slope analysis, WRI concludes that Stream S is a perennial feature that does not contain fish or fish
habitat. As such, Stream S is classified as a Type Np stream, consistent with RMC and WAC 222-
16-030. Please see Appendix D for further stream typing justification. This determination was
confirmed by WDFW.
3.0 GEOLOGIC HAZARDS
A Geotechnical Report has been provided by Terra Associates, Inc. (TAI), dated March 29, 2019.
This report indicates that the project site contains protected slopes (requiring a 15-foot structure
setback), moderate to severe potential erosion hazard areas (to be prevented and controlled using
Best Management Practices (BMPs)), high landslide hazard (LH) areas (deemed not at risk of a
deep-seated failure in its current state). Additionally, TAI has classified the site as a Low Seismic
Hazard (SL) per RMC. TAI maintains that, “there are no geotechnical conditions that would preclude the
planned development.”
Please see the Geotechnical Report (included as a part of this submittal package), by TAI, for
detailed information regarding these recommendations, which include a 15-foot building setback
from protected slopes, as designated by RMC 4-3-050(G)(2).
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4.0 WETLAND & STREAM BUFFER AVERAGING
4.1 STREAM BUFFER AVERAGING
The applicant proposes utilization of stream buffer width averaging to accommodate Lots 48-49
and grading associated with the proposed access road. The area buffer reduction totals 2,635
square feet, resulting in a minimum buffer width of 52 feet. A buffer addition area of 2,695 square
feet (~1:1 addition to reduction ratio) is proposed east of the reduction area. Per RMC 4-3-
050(I)(2)(b)(v), the applicant will enhance 6,788 square feet of stream buffer that is currently
composed of Himalayan blackberry and an old road grade.
RMC 4-3-050(I)(2)(b) states that stream buffer width averaging may be allowed when the applicant
demonstrates the following criteria. All RMC citations relevant to stream buffer width averaging
criteria are presented below in italics, followed by applicant responses in standard text.
i. There are existing physical improvements in or near the water body and associated riparian area; and
An existing dam and multiple downstream culverts are located within Stream S, downstream of
the subject site. In addition, multiple disturbances are present within the buffer of the stream,
including: maintained landscaping, structures, roads and driveway. The dam and culverts within
the stream channel as well and the disturbances within the buffer represent existing physical
improvement within the waterbody. Thus, stream buffer averaging is allowed.
ii. Buffer width averaging will result in no net loss of stream/lake/riparian ecological function; and
Along with providing higher quality buffer area, the proposed stream buffer averaging plan will
result in a 60 square foot net gain of buffer area and will include enhancement of 6,788 square feet
of buffer. The proposed plan will improve the functions and values of the stream buffer because
over time, the buffer area currently overrun by Himalayan blackberry, grasses, and road grade will
progress to a native scrub-shrub and eventually forested condition. The installed enhancement
plantings will provide replacement forage and cover opportunities for wildlife, as well as protection
from erosion, and sequestration of excess sediments and nutrients. Furthermore, a structurally
diverse plant community will slow the rate of overland flow.
iii. The total area contained within the buffer after averaging is no less than that contained within the
required standard buffer width prior to averaging; and
The proposed stream buffer width averaging plan will result in a net gain of 60 square feet of
wetland buffer area. See summary of buffer width averaging below:
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Critical Area Buffer Reduction
(SF)
Buffer Addition
(SF)
Net Gain in Buffer Area
(SF)
Stream S 2,635 2,695 60
Total: 60
Table 1 - Summary of Stream S buffer width averaging
iv. The proposed buffer standard is based on consideration of the best available science as described in
WAC 365-195-905; and
Best available science indicates that the functions provided by wetland and stream buffers are:
removing sediment, excess nutrients, and toxics from surface water, influencing the microclimate,
maintaining adjacent habitat critical for the life needs of many species that use wetlands, screening
adjacent disturbances, and maintaining habitat connectivity (Sheldon, et al. 2005).
Stream S is a Type Np stream, that lacks fish habitat. As such the buffer area surrounding Stream
S is not critical in providing resources for salmonids/fish. However, Stream S does contribute to
Lake Washington (which contains salmonids) downstream, thus maintaining this features water
quality contributes to health of aquatic life downstream.
Given the increase of 60 square feet in overall buffer area, in combination with the limited
reduction in overall width (the buffer width will be reduced by a maximum of 23 feet), and the
associated stream buffer enhancement (see response to 4-3-050(I)(2)(b)(v) below), the proposed
buffer width averaging plan is expected to deliver a modest lift in the functions and values of the
on-site buffer. In addition, buffer width averaging of Stream S, in combination with Wetland D
buffer width averaging, will result in habitat connectivity between Stream S, Wetland C, and
Wetland D, which previously did not exist. This habitat connectivity is to be protected in
perpetuity.
v. Where the buffer width is reduced by averaging pursuant to this subsection, buffer enhancement shall be
required.
The applicant will enhance 6,788 square feet of stream buffer that is currently composed of
Himalayan blackberry and an old road grade (covered by grasses). Enhancement will involve
removing all invasive/non-native species from this area, soil decompaction and amendment as
necessary, and the planting of native trees and shrubs. Please see Section 9.3.2, Stream S Buffer
Enhancement Plan, for more details.
4.2 WETLAND BUFFER AVERAGING
The buffers of Wetlands B and D will be averaged in order to accommodate Lot 7 and Lots 43-
44, respectively. The Wetland B buffer reduction totals 1,032 square feet, resulting in a minimum
buffer width of 37.5 feet (75 percent of the standard 50-foot buffer). A buffer addition area of 1,092
square feet (1.05:1 buffer addition to reduction ratio) is proposed southeast of the reduction area.
The Wetland D buffer reduction totals 2,095 square feet, resulting in a minimum buffer width of
37.5-feet (75 percent of the standard 50-foot buffer). A buffer addition area of 2,305 square feet
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(1.1:1 addition to reduction ratio) is proposed north and south of the reduction area, resulting in a
contiguous vegetated corridor between Stream S, Wetland C, and Wetland D, to be protected in
perpetuity.
Critical
Area
Buffer
Reduction (SF)
Buffer
Addition (SF)
Net Gain in Buffer
Area (SF)
Mitigation
to Impact
Ratio
Wetland B 1,032 1,092 60 1.05:1
Wetland D 2,095 2,305 210 1.1:1
Total: 270
Table 2 - Summary of wetland buffer width averaging
Per RMC 4-3-050(I)(3)(b), wetland buffer width averaging may be allowed when the applicant
demonstrates the following criteria. All RMC citations relevant to wetland buffer width averaging
criteria are presented below in italics, followed by applicant responses in standard text.
i. There are existing physical improvements in or near the wetland and buffer; and
Lincoln Ave NE and its associated right of way (ROW) is located immediately adjacent to Wetland
B. This maintained city road and ROW is a clear existing physical improvement immediately
adjacent to the wetland. Thus, wetland buffer averaging is allowed.
ii. That buffer width averaging will not adversely impact the wetland function and values; and
The buffer reduction areas of Wetlands B and D are composed of forested and scrub-shrub
vegetation. Similarly, the areas proposed for buffer addition are also composed of forested and
scrub-shrub vegetation. Therefore, direct compensation of functions and values will be addressed
by providing additional buffer of a similar composition to the reduction areas at a >1:1 buffer
addition to reduction ratio. No impacts to existing functions and values of the wetland areas are
expected to occur because of the proposed buffer averaging activity.
iii. That the total area contained within the wetland buffer after averaging is no less than that contained
within the required standard buffer prior to averaging; and
The wetland buffer width averaging plan will result in a net gain of 270 square feet of wetland
buffer area (see Table 2, above).
iv. A site-specific evaluation and documentation of buffer adequacy based upon Wetlands in Washington
State, Volume 1: A Synthesis of the Science (Ecology Publication No. 05-06-006, March 2005) and
Wetlands in Washington State, Volume 2: Managing and Protecting Wetlands (Ecology Publication
No. 04-06-008, April 2005), or similar approaches have been conducted. The proposed buffer
standard is based on consideration of the best available science as described in WAC 365-195-905; and
Best available science indicates that the functions provided by wetland and stream buffers are:
removing sediment, excess nutrients, and toxics from surface water, influencing the microclimate,
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maintaining adjacent habitat critical for the life needs of many species that use wetlands, screening
adjacent disturbances, and maintaining habitat connectivity (Sheldon, et al. 2005).
Considering the areas of buffer addition are of the similar species composition to the areas of
reduction and that the buffer width averaging plan will result in a net gain of 270 square feet of
buffer, the proposed buffer averaging activity is expected to deliver a modest lift in the functions
and values of the on-site buffer. In addition, buffer width averaging of Wetland D, in combination
with Stream S buffer width averaging, will result in habitat connectivity between Stream S,
Wetland C, and Wetland D, which previously did not exist. This habitat connectivity is to be
protected in perpetuity.
v. In no instance shall the buffer width be reduced by more than seventy five percent (75%) of the standard
buffer. Greater buffer width reductions require review as a variance pursuant to RMC 4-9-250B; and
In no instance are the buffers of Wetlands B and D reduced by more than 75 percent (37.5-feet) of
the standard buffer (50-feet) as a result of buffer averaging.
vi. Buffer enhancement in the areas where the buffer is reduced shall be required on a case-by-case basis
where appropriate to site conditions, wetland sensitivity, and proposed land development characteristics.
Given the existing condition of the buffer, no buffer enhancement is proposed as a part of the
proposed wetland buffer width averaging plan.
5.0 PROPOSED IMPACTS
5.1 WETLAND IMPACTS
Required frontage improvements create the need to fill of 797 square feet of Wetland A, which is
approximately 50 percent of the wetland. Based on site restrictions, including frontage
improvements, access, on-site wetlands and streams, and topography, the northwest corner of the
site is most suitable to locate stormwater facilities. Given this, the applicant is proposing to fill the
entirety of Wetland A (1,585 square feet). Per RMC 4-3-050(J)(4), wetland alterations may only be
authorized after the City makes a written finding that the proposal is consistent with the following
criteria. RMC wetland alteration criteria are presented below in italics, followed by applicant
responses in standard text.
a. No Net Loss: Activities that adversely affect wetlands and/or wetland buffers shall include mitigation
sufficient to achieve no net loss of wetland function and acreage and to achieve, where practicable, a net
resource gain in wetlands over present conditions. The concept of “no net loss” means to create, restore
and/or enhance a wetland so that there is no reduction to total wetland acreage and/or function.
Mitigation for the fill of Wetland A will be provided through on-site wetland enhancement of
Wetlands B and D, provided at a >3:1 mitigation to impact ratio. The proposed wetland
enhancement plan will increase diversity and density of native plants within Wetlands B and D,
while providing increased opportunities for wildlife habitat. The proposed enhancement plan will
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allow the remaining on-site wetlands and buffer area to provide a greater level of functions and
values post development than they currently provide.
b. Compensation for wetland alternations shall occur in the following order of preference:
i. Re-establishing wetlands on upland sites that were formerly wetlands.
Based on publicly available resources, aerial imagery, and the site investigations, it does not appear
that the subject property contains upland area that was formerly wetland.
ii. Rehabilitating wetlands for the purposes of repairing or restoring natural and/or historic functions.
Based on publicly available resources, aerial imagery, and the site investigations, it does not appear
that rehabilitation to natural and/or historic functions applies to wetlands on-site.
iii. Creating wetlands on disturbed upland sites such as those consisting primarily of nonnative, invasive
plant species.
The majority of the subject property is situated on a slope; thus, it would be difficult for wetland
creation to be successful due to hydrologic input requirements.
iv. Enhancing significantly degraded wetlands.
Wetlands B and D can be enhanced, as they are composed of a mix of native and non-native
species, including Himalayan blackberry (Rubus armeniacus), English ivy (Hedera helix), and reed
canarygrass (Phalaris arundinacea).
v. Preserving Category I or II wetlands that are under imminent threat; provided, that preservation shall
only be allowed in combination with other forms of mitigation and when the Administrator determines
that the overall mitigation package fully replaces the functions and values lost due to development.
No Category I or II wetlands exist on-site. The on-site wetlands (Wetlands A-D) are Category IV
wetlands.
vi. Cooperative compensation to mitigation banks or in-lieu fee programs, as indicated in subsection G9e
of this Section.
Not applicable. Compensatory mitigation for the proposed impacts will be provided on-site via the
enhancement of Wetlands B and D.
5.2 BUFFER IMPACTS
The applicant proposes minor impacts, totaling 240 square feet, to the buffer of Wetland B due to
required frontage improvements. Per RMC 4-3-050(C)(3)(e)(iii), Utilities, Traffic Control, Walkways,
Bikeways Within Existing, Improved Right-of-Way or easements, are exempt activities within wetlands and
wetland buffer. The proposed impacts are located within an existing improved right-of-way and
are therefore allowed. The applicant will mitigate via enhancement of a 700 square feet of Wetland
B buffer (~3:1 mitigation to impact ratio), abutting Lincoln Ave NE. This is consistent with RMC
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4-3-050(J)(4)(d), which states, compensation for wetland buffer impacts shall occur at a minimum one to one
(1:1) ratio. Please see Section 8 for mitigation plan details.
6.0 PROPOSED PEDESTRIAN TRAIL
The City of Renton is requiring a trail connection between the proposed development and the
City of Newcastle’s pedestrian trail located along the right-of-way of NE 43rd Street. Trails through
critical areas and their associated buffers are exempt per RMC 4-3-050C(3) and 4-3-050C(4), as
long as they meet specific requirements and provided a letter of exemption has been issued. RMC
requirements are presented below in italics, followed by applicant responses in standard text.
RMC 4-3-050C(3) Footnote #14:
Normal and routine maintenance, operation and repair of existing parks, trails, streets, roads, rights-of-way and
associated appurtenances, facilities and utilities where no alteration or additional fill materials will be placed other
than the minimum alteration and/or fill needed to restore those facilities or to construct new trails to meet established
safety standards. The use of heavy construction equipment shall be limited to utilities and public agencies that require
this type of equipment for normal and routine maintenance and repair of existing utility structures and rights-of-way.
In every case, critical area and required buffer impacts shall be minimized and disturbed areas shall be restored during
and immediately after the use of construction equipment.
Impacts to critical areas will be minimized to the furthest extent possible when installing the new
trail. Any disturbed critical areas outside of the proposed mitigation plan will be restored to pre-
construction conditions immediately after installation.
RMC 4-3-050C(4) Footnote #1:
1.Walkways and trails, and associated open space in critical area buffers located on public property, or where
easements or agreements have been granted for such purposes on private property. All of the following criteria shall be
met:
a. The trail, walkway, and associated open space shall be consistent with the Parks, Recreation, and Natural
Areas Plan. The City may allow private trails as part of the approval of a site plan, subdivision or other land
use permit approvals.
The on-site and off-site trail is a requirement of the City of Renton and will connect to the
City of Newcastle’s pedestrian trail located along NE 43rd Street right-of-way.
b. Trails and walkways shall be located in the outer twenty five percent (25%) of the buffer, i.e., the portion
of the buffer that is farther away from the critical area. Exceptions to this requirement may be made for:
i. Trail segments connecting to existing trails where an alternate alignment is not practical.
ii. Public access points to water bodies spaced periodically along the trail.
Due to constraints within the right-of-way and connection to an existing trail, the trail
alignment cannot be located within the outside 25% of the buffer and has to cross a portion
of Wetland D and Stream S.
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c. Enhancement of the buffer area is required where trails are located in the buffer. Where enhancement of the
buffer area abutting a trail is not feasible due to existing high quality vegetation, additional buffer area or other
mitigation may be required.
Enhancement of a portion of Wetland D (1,356 square feet) and Stream S’s buffer (781 square
feet) is proposed on-site. Enhancement abutting the trail is not feasible due to the location of
the trail within the right-of-way.
d. Trail widths shall be a maximum width of twelve feet (12'). Trails shall be constructed of permeable
materials which protect water quality, allow adequate surface water and ground water movements, do not
contribute to erosion, are located where they do not disturb nesting, breeding, and rearing areas, and designed
to avoid or reduce the removal of trees. Impervious materials may be allowed if pavement is required for
handicapped or emergency access, or safety, or is a designated nonmotorized transportation route or makes a
connection to an already dedicated trail, or reduces potential for other environmental impacts.
The off-site portion of the trail that crosses wetland, stream, and buffer will be 5 feet wide.
The portions of the trail through buffer will consist of wood chips underlain with filter fabric
and will be field fit to avoid trees. The portion of trail crossing the wetland will consist of a
boardwalk and supported by pin piles. The slatted decking of the boardwalk and grated top
of the dock will allow precipitation to move through the structure. This design minimizes
impacts to the wetland and aquatic area and avoids any fill or grading within the wetland.
The proposed bridge crossing Stream S will be 6 feet wide, include concrete decking, and
meets WDFW stream crossing guidelines.
e. Any crossing over a stream or wetland shall be generally perpendicular to the critical area and shall be
accomplished by bridging or other technique designed to minimize critical area disturbance. It shall also be the
minimum width necessary to accommodate the intended function or objective.
Both the stream and wetland crossing structures have been designed to minimize impacts to
critical areas to the furthest extent possible. The wetland crossing will be located over the
shortest distance of wetland possible given the right-of-way constraints. The stream crossing
will be perpendicular to Stream S.
7.0 MITIGATION SEQUENCING
The applicant is proposing to fill the entirety of Wetland A in order to accommodate frontage
improvements and the proposed stormwater infrastructure. RMC 4-3-050(L)(1)(b) posits that, “If
alterations to critical areas are proposed for a non-exempt activity, the applicant shall evaluate alternative methods of
developing the property using the following criteria in this order and provide reasons why a less intrusive method of
development is not feasible. In determining whether to grant permit approval pursuant to RMC 4-3-050C, a
determination shall be made as to whether the feasibility of less intrusive methods of development has been adequately
evaluated and that less intrusive methods of development are not feasible.”
RMC 4-3-050(L)(1)(b)(i)-(vii) mitigation sequencing provisions are presented below in italics,
followed by applicant responses in standard text.
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i. Avoiding the impact altogether by not taking a certain action or parts of an action (usually by
either finding another site or changing the location on the site).
Required frontage improvements create the need to fill of 797 square feet of Wetland A, which is
approximately 50 percent of the wetland. Based on site restrictions, including frontage
improvements, access, on-site wetlands and streams, and topography, the northwest corner of the
site is most suitable to locate stormwater facilities. Given this, the applicant is proposing to fill the
entirety of Wetland A (1,585 square feet).
ii. Minimizing adverse impacts by limiting the magnitude of the action and its implementation,
by using appropriate technology, or by taking affirmative steps, such as project redesign,
relocation, or timing, to avoid or reduce impacts.
Other than the proposed permanent impacts to Wetland A and minor impacts to Wetland B (both
to be mitigated for on-site), no other impacts to critical areas on-site are proposed.
iii. Rectifying adverse impacts to wetlands, Wellhead Protection Areas, flood hazard areas, and
habitat conservation areas by repairing, rehabilitating, or restoring the affected environment to
the historical conditions or the conditions existing at the time of the initiation of the project.
Mitigation for the fill of Wetland A will be provided through on-site wetland enhancement,
provided at a >3:1 mitigation to impact ratio.
iv. Minimizing or eliminating the hazard by restoring or stabilizing the hazard area through
engineered or other methods.
Best Management Practices (BMPs), and temporary erosion and sediment control (TESC) plans,
and retaining walls will be utilized to minimize the risks associated with steep slope hazard areas
on-site.
v. Reducing or eliminating the adverse impacts or hazard over time by preservation and
maintenance operations over the life of the action.
See response to 4-3-050(L)(1)(b)(iv), above.
vi. Compensating for adverse impacts to wetlands, Wellhead Protection Areas, flood hazard areas,
and habitat conservation areas by replacing, enhancing, or providing substitute resources or
environments.
See response to 4-3-050(L)(1)(b)(iii), above.
vii. Monitoring the hazard or other required mitigation and taking remedial action when necessary.
Not applicable.
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8.0 MITIGATION PLAN
8.1 WETLAND ENHANCEMENT
Due to required frontage improvements and stormwater infrastructure, the applicant is proposing
to fill the entirety of Wetland A (1,585 square feet). Mitigation for the fill of Wetland A will be
provided through on-site wetland enhancement of Wetlands B and D, totaling 4,865 square feet.
The proposed wetland enhancement plantings and large woody debris will increase diversity and
density of native plants within Wetlands B and D, while providing increased opportunities for
wildlife habitat.
8.1.1 Wetland B Enhancement Plan
Prior to planting, invasive woody species including (but not limited to) Himalayan blackberry
(Rubus armeniacus), English holly (Ilex aquifolium), and English ivy (Hedera helix) will be removed from
the wetland. Any existing native plants within the wetlands shall be retained and protected. Only
shrubs will be planted within Wetland B, as a dense native overstory and moderate native
understory currently exist. In order to provide dense vegetative cover to compete with potentially
encroaching Himalayan blackberry (Rubus armeniacus), spacing of shrubs is at 5 feet on-center. This
will allow the thicket forming species (twinberry, rose, and salmonberry) to outcompete non-native
species.
Wetland B Enhancement Plan (1,765 square feet)
Common Name Latin Name Size Spacing Quantity
Twinberry Lonicera involucrata 1 gallon 5’ 12
Pacific ninebark Physocarpus capitatus 1 gallon 5’ 12
Red-osier dogwood Cornus sericea 1 gallon 5’ 12
Nootka rose Rosa nutkana 1 gallon 5’ 12
Salmonberry Rubus spectabilis 1 gallon 5’ 12
8.1.2 Wetland D Enhancement Plan
Prior to planting, invasive woody species including (but not limited to) Himalayan blackberry
(Rubus armeniacus) will be removed from the wetland. Any existing native plants within the wetlands
shall be retained and protected. In order to provide dense vegetative cover to compete with
potentially encroaching Himalayan blackberry (Rubus armeniacus), spacing trees at 10 feet on-center
and shrubs at 5 feet on-center. This will allow the thicket forming species (twinberry, rose, and
salmonberry) to outcompete non-native species.
Wetland D Enhancement Plan (3,100 square feet)
Common Name Latin Name Size Spacing Quantity
Sitka spruce Picea sitchensis 1 gallon 10’ 15
Red alder Alnus rubra 1 gallon 10’ 15
Sitka willow Salix sitchensis 1 gallon 5’ 23
Twinberry Lonicera involucrata 1 gallon 5’ 23
Nootka rose Rosa nutkana 1 gallon 5’ 23
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Salmonberry Rubus spectabilis 1 gallon 5’ 23
8.1.3 Large Woody Debris
In addition to the enhancement plantings, a minimum of two (2) pieces of woody debris (per
wetland) will be added to Wetlands B and D. If possible, material removed from the site for
development will be salvaged for use as woody debris within the buffer enhancement area. Woody
debris shall consist of coniferous logs or root wads. Minimum size of the woody debris will be 10-
inch diameter and 15 feet in length, or 10-foot diameter root-wads.
8.2 BUFFER ENHANCEMENT
To compensate for minor impacts (240 square feet) to the buffer of Wetland B associated with
frontage improvements, a total of 700 square feet of buffer located between Lincoln Ave NE and
Wetland B will be enhanced with a variety of native vegetation and large woody debris. In order
to utilize buffer averaging for the buffer of Stream S, the applicant proposes to enhance 6,788
square feet of stream buffer, which is comprised of an old road grade and dominated by Himalayan
blackberry (Rubus armeniacus) and grasses.
To compensate for minor impacts to Wetland D (134 square feet), Wetland D’s buffer (954 square
feet), and Streams S’s buffer (781 square feet) for installation of the pedestrian trail, a total of 2,137
square feet of buffer will be enhanced. This includes 781 square feet of Stream S buffer and 1,356
square feet of Wetland D buffer.
The proposed buffer enhancement plantings and large woody debris will increase diversity and
density of native plants within Wetlands B and D, while providing increased opportunities for
wildlife habitat.
8.2.1 Wetland B Buffer Enhancement
Prior to planting, invasive woody species including (but not limited to) Himalayan blackberry
(Rubus armeniacus) and English holly (Ilex aquifolium) will be removed from the buffer enhancement
area. Any existing native plants within the buffer shall be retained and protected. As the overstory
of Wetland B and surrounding buffer is dense with red alder and black cottonwood, a variety of
native shrubs and herbaceous species will be planted in the understory. The following native shrubs
and groundcover will be planted in the buffer enhancement area and any disturbed areas will be
seeded with the buffer grass seed mix specified below:
Wetland B Buffer Enhancement (700 square feet)
Common Name Latin Name Size Spacing Quantity
Vine maple Acer circinatum 2” cal. (7-8’ tall) 6’ 8
Salmonberry Rubus spectabilis 1 gallon 6’ 8
Salal Gaultheria shallon 1 gallon 6’ 8
Snowberry Symphoricarpos albus 1 gallon 6’ 8
Sword fern Polystichum munitum 1 gallon 4’ 10
Low Oregon grape Mahonia nervosa 1 gallon 4’ 10
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Buffer Grass Seed Mixture
Common Name Latin Name lbs./1,000 SF
Tall fescue Festuca arundinacea 0.4
Colonial bentgrass Agrostis tenuis 0.4
Annual ryegrass Lolium multiflorum 0.5
Red clover Trifolium repens 0.2
8.2.2 Wetland D Buffer Enhancement
Prior to planting, invasive woody species including (but not limited to) Himalayan blackberry
(Rubus armeniacus) and English holly (Ilex aquifolium) will be removed from the buffer enhancement
area. Any existing native plants within the buffer shall be retained and protected. The following
native trees, shrubs, and groundcover will be planted in the buffer enhancement area and any
disturbed areas will be seeded with the buffer grass seed mix specified below:
Wetland D Buffer Enhancement (1,356 square feet)
Common Name Latin Name Size Spacing Quantity
Big-leaf maple Acer macrophyllum 1 gallon 9’ 8
Grand fir Abies grandis 1 gallon 9’ 8
Vine maple Acer circinatum 1 gallon 6’ 6
Salmonberry Rubus spectabilis 1 gallon 6’ 5
Salal Gaultheria shallon 1 gallon 6’ 5
Snowberry Symphoricarpos albus 1 gallon 6’ 5
Sword fern Polystichum munitum 1 gallon 4’ 24
Low Oregon grape Mahonia nervosa 1 gallon 4’ 23
Buffer Grass Seed Mixture
Common Name Latin Name lbs./1,000 SF
Tall fescue Festuca arundinacea 0.4
Colonial bentgrass Agrostis tenuis 0.4
Annual ryegrass Lolium multiflorum 0.5
Red clover Trifolium repens 0.2
8.2.3 Stream S Buffer Enhancement Plan
If soils associated with the old road grade are compacted, site preparation including soil
decompaction and amendment will occur prior to planting. If necessary, soils will be decompacted
and 3 inches of premium topsoil shall be tilled into the top 6 inches of existing soil. The topsoil
amendment shall have at least 15 percent organic content.
Prior to planting, invasive woody species including (but not limited to) Himalayan blackberry
(Rubus armeniacus) will be removed from the buffer enhancement area. Any existing native plants
within the buffer shall be retained and protected. The following native trees and shrubs will be
planted in the buffer enhancement area and any disturbed areas will be seeded with the buffer
grass seed mix specified below:
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Stream S Buffer Enhancement Area A (6,788 square feet)
Common Name Latin Name Size Spacing Quantity
Western hemlock Tsuga heterophylla ≥6’ tall 9’ 27
Big-leaf maple Acer macrophyllum 2" cal. 9’ 27
Red alder Alnus rubra 2” cal. 6’ 42
Osoberry Oemleria cerasiformis 1 gallon 6’ 42
Snowberry Symphoricarpos albus 1 gallon 6’ 42
Salal Gaultheria shallon 1 gallon 6’ 42
Low Oregon grape Mahonia nervosa 1 gallon 6’ 42
Stream S Buffer Enhancement Area B (781 square feet)
Common Name Latin Name Size Spacing Quantity
Western hemlock Tsuga heterophylla ≥6’ tall 9’ 5
Big-leaf maple Acer macrophyllum 2" cal. 9’ 4
Red alder Alnus rubra 2” cal. 6’ 3
Osoberry Oemleria cerasiformis 1 gallon 6’ 3
Snowberry Symphoricarpos albus 1 gallon 6’ 2
Salal Gaultheria shallon 1 gallon 6’ 2
Low Oregon grape Mahonia nervosa 1 gallon 6’ 2
Buffer Grass Seed Mixture
Common Name Latin Name lbs./1,000 SF
Tall fescue Festuca arundinacea 0.4
Colonial bentgrass Agrostis tenuis 0.4
Annual ryegrass Lolium multiflorum 0.5
Red clover Trifolium repens 0.2
8.2.4 Large Woody Debris
In addition to the enhancement plantings, a minimum of one (1) piece of woody debris will be
added to the Wetland B enhancement area and any trees measuring four or more inches in
diameter that are removed within 200-feet of Stream S, during the clearing and grading process,
will be added to the Stream S buffer enhancement area. A minimum of one (1) piece of large woody
debris (LWD) will be placed within the stream channel. Minimum size of this LWD will be 10-inch
diameter and at least 8-feet in length. This LWD should be an evergreen species preferably cedar,
hemlock, or fir, as they have relatively slower decay rates than deciduous species and have complex
root systems. In-channel LWD shall be buried with a minimum of two-thirds of its length into
the graded stream bank at an approximate 60-degree angle with its root-wad in contact with
the stream and facing upstream.
9.0 FUNCTIONS AND VALUES ASSESSMENT
Wetlands and streams in Western Washington perform a variety of ecosystem functions. Included
among the most important functions provided by wetlands are stormwater control, water quality
improvement, fish and wildlife habitat, aesthetic value, recreational opportunities and education.
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The most commonly assessed functions and their descriptions are listed below. Assessments of
these functions for the project site are provided in the “Analysis” section of this report.
Hydrologic Functions
Wetlands often function as natural water storage areas during periods of precipitation and flooding.
By storing water that otherwise might be channeled into open flow systems, wetlands can attenuate
or modify potentially damaging effects of storm events, reducing erosion and peak flows to
downstream systems. Additionally, the soils underlying wetlands are often less permeable,
providing long-term storage of stormwater or floodflow and controlling baseflows of downstream
systems. Stormwater storage capacity and floodflow attenuation are generally a function of the
size of the wetland and their topographic characteristics.
Water Quality
Surface water quality improvement is another important function provided by wetlands. Surface
runoff during periods of precipitation increases the potential for sediments and pollutants to enter
surface water. Wetlands improve water quality by acting as filters as water passes through them,
trapping sediments and pollutants from surface water. Ponded areas within depressional wetlands
also allow sediments to drop out of suspension, thereby increasing water quality
Wildlife Habitat
Wetlands have potential to provide diverse habitat for aquatic, terrestrial, and avian species for
nesting, rearing, resting, cover, and foraging. Wildlife species are commonly dependent upon a
variety of intermingled habitat types, including: wetlands, adjacent uplands, large bodies of water,
and movement corridors between them. Human intrusion, including development within and
adjacent to wetlands, and impacts to movement corridors are the most limiting factors for wildlife
habitat functions.
9.1 EXISTING WETLAND CONDITIONS
Wetland A is a slope wetland with an overstory of red alder and an understory dominated by
Himalayan blackberry (Rubus armeniacus) and reed canarygrass (Phalaris arundinacea). This wetland
provides some hydrologic functions by slowing water velocity, especially during periods of high
flows. Vegetation within the wetland assists in filtration of sediments and pollutants. The
hydrological and water quality functions of this wetland are limited by the low residence time of
water within the wetland. This wetland provides low habitat value, due to limited structural
diversity, interspersion of habitats, special habitat features, and low landscape potential to support
habitat functions on-site. Overall, this wetland provides a low to moderate level of functions.
Wetland B is a slope wetland with a canopy of red alder (Alnus rubra) and black cottonwood (Populus
balsamifera), and understory dominated by Himalayan blackberry (Rubus armeniacus) and giant
horsetail (Equisetum telmateia). This wetland provides some hydrologic functions by slowing water
velocity, especially during periods of high flows. Vegetation within the wetland assists in filtration
of sediments and pollutants. The hydrological and water quality functions of this wetland are
limited by the low volume of storage capacity and the lack of persistent vegetation. Similar to
Wetland A, this wetland provides low habitat value, due to limited structural diversity,
interspersion of habitats, special habitat features, and low landscape potential to support habitat
functions on-site. Overall, this wetland provides a low to moderate level of functions.
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Wetland C is a slope wetland dominated by Himalayan blackberry (Phalaris arundinacea) and skunk
cabbage (Lysichiton americanus). This wetland provides some hydrologic functions by slowing water
velocity, especially during periods of high flows. Vegetation within the wetland assists in filtration
of sediments and pollutants. The hydrological and water quality functions of this wetland are
limited by the low residence time of water within the wetland. This wetland does provide moderate
habitat value, partially attributed to its association with Stream S. Overall, this wetland provides a
moderate level of functions.
Wetland D is a slope wetland with a sparse canopy of red alder (Alnus rubra), and a moderately
dense understory dominated by Himalayan blackberry (Rubus armeniacus) and fowl mannagrass
(Glyceria striata). This wetland provides some hydrologic functions by slowing water velocity,
especially during periods of high flows. Vegetation within the wetland assists in filtration of
sediments and pollutants. The hydrological and water quality functions of this wetland are limited
by the low residence time of water within the wetland. This wetland provides low habitat value,
due to limited site and landscape potential to support habitat functions. Overall, this wetland
provides a low to moderate level of functions.
9.2 POST CONSTRUCTION WETLAND FUNCTIONS AND VALUES
As mitigation for the proposed development on this property, the applicant is proposing to enhance
the on-site portions of Wetlands B and D, as well as portions of Stream S, Wetland B, and Wetland
D’s buffer. The proposed wetland and buffer enhancement plantings and installation of large
woody debris will provide a greater diversity of vegetation, facilitating more opportunities for
wildlife to find refuge. Additional native, fruit bearing shrubs will provide an increase in food
sources for wildlife in the area. This is a vital uplift of habitat functions on-site, as Wetland A, B,
and D currently provide low habitat value.
The enhancement plantings on the slopes within the buffer will increase density of woody
vegetation in that area, providing a higher level of velocity reduction and water filtration. The
increased variety and quantity of vegetation within the wetlands will slow stormwater flows as they
move through the site and toward the off-site stream. Additionally, buffer enhancement will
provide screening and protection to Wetland B, Wetland D, and Stream S. The enhancement
plantings will allow the remaining on-site wetlands and buffer area to provide a greater level of
functions and values post development than they currently provide, to be protected in perpetuity.
10.0 PROJECT NOTES
Pre-Construction Meeting
Mitigation projects are typically more complex to install than to describe in plans. Careful
monitoring by a wetland professional for all portions of this project is strongly recommended.
Construction timing and sequencing is important to the success of this type of project. There will
be a pre-construction meeting on this site between the Permittee, the consulting wetland
professional, and laborers. The objective will be to verify the location of erosion control facilities,
verify the location of mitigation areas, and to discuss project sequencing.
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Inspections
A wetland professional shall be contracted to periodically inspect the mitigation installation
described in this plan. Minor adjustments to the original design may be necessary prior to and
during construction due to unusual or hidden site conditions. A City of Renton representative
and/or the consulting professional will make these decisions during construction.
11.0 PLANTING NOTES
Plant in the early spring or late fall and obtain all plants from a reputable nursery. Care and
handling of all plant materials is extremely important to the overall success of the project. The
origin of all plant materials specified in this plan shall be native plants, nursery grown in the Puget
Sound region of Washington. Some limited species substitution may be allowed, only with the
agreement of the landscape designer, wetland professional, and/or City staff.
Pre-Planting Meeting
Prior to control of invasive species or installation of mitigation plantings, a site meeting between
the contracted landscaper and the consulting wetland professional shall occur to resolve any
questions that may arise. During this meeting a discussion regarding plant spacing and locations
of plant species including wetland verses buffer species shall occur between the landscape
contractor and the consulting wetland professional.
Handling
Plants shall be handled so as to avoid all damage, including: breaking, bruising, root damage,
sunburn, drying, freezing or other injury. Plants must be covered during transport. Plants shall
not be bound with wire or rope in a manner that could damage branches. Protect plant roots with
shade and wet soil in the time period between delivery and installation. Do not lift container stock
by trunks, stems, or tops. Do not remove from containers until ready to plant. Water all plants as
necessary to keep moisture levels appropriate to the species horticultural requirements. Plants shall
not be allowed to dry out. All plants shall be watered thoroughly immediately upon installation.
Soak all containerized plants thoroughly prior to installation.
Storage
Plants stored by the Permittee for longer than one month prior to planting shall be planted in
nursery rows and treated in a manner suitable to those species’ horticultural requirements. Plants
must be re-inspected by the wetland professional and/or landscape designer prior to installation.
Damaged plants
Damaged, dried out, or otherwise mishandled plants will be rejected at installation inspection. All
rejected plants shall be immediately removed from the site.
Plant Names
Plant names shall comply with those generally accepted in the native plant nursery trade. Any
question regarding plant species or variety shall be referred to the landscape designer, wetland
professional, or City staff. All plant materials shall be true to species and variety and legibly tagged.
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Quality and condition
Plants shall be normal in pattern of growth, healthy, well-branched, vigorous, with well-developed
root systems, and free of pests and diseases. Damaged, diseased, pest-infested, scraped, bruised,
dried out, burned, broken, or defective plants will be rejected. Plants with pruning wounds over
1-inch in diameter will be rejected.
Roots
All plants shall be balled and burlapped (B &B) or containerized, unless explicitly authorized by
the landscape designer and/or wetland professional. Rootbound plants or B&B plants with
damaged, cracked, or loose rootballs (major damage) will be rejected. Immediately before
installation, plants with minor root damage (some broken and/or twisted roots) must be root-
pruned. Matted or circling roots of containerized plantings must be pruned or straightened and
the sides of the root ball must be roughened from top to bottom to a depth of approximately half
an inch in two to four places. Bare root plantings of woody material are allowed only with
permission from the landscape designer, wetland professional and/or City staff.
Sizes
Plant sizes shall be the size indicated in the plant schedule in approved plans. Larger stock may
be acceptable provided that it has not been cut back to the size specified, and that the root ball is
proportionate to the size of the plant. Smaller stock may be acceptable, and preferable under
some circumstances, based on site-specific conditions. Measurements, caliper, branching, and
balling and burlapping shall conform to the American Standard of Nursery Stock by the American
Association of Nurserymen (latest edition).
Form
Evergreen trees shall have single trunks and symmetrical, well-developed form. Deciduous trees
shall be single trunked unless specified as multi-stem in the plant schedule. Shrubs shall have
multiple stems and be well-branched.
Timing of Planting
Unless otherwise approved by City staff, all planting shall occur between November 1 and March
1. Overall, the earlier plants go into the ground during the dormant period, the more time they
have to adapt to the site and extend their root systems before the water demands of spring and
summer.
Weeding
Existing and exotic vegetation in the mitigation areas will be hand-weeded from around all newly
installed plants at the time of installation and on a routine basis throughout the monitoring period.
No chemical control of vegetation on any portion of the site is recommended.
Site conditions
The contractor shall immediately notify the landscape designer and/or wetland professional of
drainage or soil conditions likely to be detrimental to the growth or survival of plants. Planting
operations shall not be conducted under the following conditions: freezing weather, when the
ground is frozen, excessively wet weather, excessively windy weather, or in excessive heat.
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Planting Pits
Planting pits shall be circular or square with vertical sides, and shall be 6” deeper and 12” larger
in diameter than the root ball of the plant. Break up the sides of the pit in compacted soils. Set
plants upright in pits. Burlap shall be removed from the planting pit. Backfill shall be worked back
into holes such that air pockets are removed without adversely compacting down soils.
Fertilizer
Slow release fertilizer may be used if pre-approved by City of Renton staff. Fertilizers shall be
applied only at the base of plantings underneath the required covering of mulch (that does not
make contact with stems of the plants). No soil amendment or fertilizers will be placed in planting
holes.
Staking
Most shrubs and many trees DO NOT require any staking. If the plant can stand alone without
staking in a moderate wind, do not use a stake. If the plant needs support, then strapping or
webbing should be used as low as possible on the trunk to loosely brace the tree with two stakes.
Do not brace the tree tightly or too high on the trunk. If the tree is unable to sway, it will further
lose the ability to support itself. Do not use wire in a rubber hose for strapping as it exerts too much
pressure on the bark. As soon as supporting the plant becomes unnecessary, remove the stakes. All
stakes must be removed within two (2) years of installation.
Plant Location
Colored surveyors ribbon or other appropriate marking shall be attached to the installed plants to
assist in locating the plants while removing the competing non-native vegetation and during the
monitoring period.
Arrangement and Spacing
The plants shall be arranged in a pattern with the appropriate numbers, sizes, species, and
distribution that are required in accordance with the approved plans. The actual placement of
individual plants shall mimic natural, asymmetric vegetation patterns found on similar undisturbed
sites in the area. Spacing of the plantings may be adjusted to maintain existing vegetation with the
agreement of the landscape designer, wetland professional, and/or City staff.
Inspection(s)
A wetland professional shall be present on site to inspect the plants prior to planting. Minor
adjustments to the original design may be required prior to and during construction.
Woodchip Mulch
All landscaped areas denuded of vegetation and soil surface surrounding all planting pit areas shall
receive no less than 2 to 4 inches of certified woodchip mulch after planting. A layer of woodchip
mulch will be placed around the base of each plant in a 3-foot radius and at a depth of 2 to 4
inches. The woodchip mulch shall not be allowed to contact plant stems in order to avoid plant
decay and rot.
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12.0 PROJECT MONITORING PROGRAM
12.1 REQUIREMENTS FOR MONITORING PROJECT:
1. Initial compliance/as-built report
2. Site inspection (twice per year) for five years
3. Annual reports (one report submitted during each monitored year)
Purpose for Monitoring
The purpose for monitoring this mitigation project shall be to evaluate its success. Success will be
determined if monitoring shows at the end of five years that the definitions of success stated below
are met. The property owner shall grant access to the mitigation area for inspection and
maintenance to the contracted landscape and/or wetland specialist and City of Renton during the
monitoring period or until the project is evaluated as successful.
Monitoring
Monitoring shall be conducted twice annually for five years in accordance with the approved
Mitigation Plan. The monitoring period will begin once the City receives written notification
confirming the mitigation plan has been implemented and City staff inspects the site and issues
approval of the installation.
Vegetation Monitoring
Sampling points or transects will be established for vegetation monitoring and photo points will be
established from which photos will be taken throughout the monitoring period. Permanent
sampling points must be identified on the mitigation site plans in the first monitoring report (they
may be drawn on approved plans by hand). Each sampling point shall detail herbaceous, shrub,
and tree coverage. Monitoring of vegetation sampling points shall occur once per monitored year.
Wetland Hydrology Monitoring
To ensure that wetland hydrology is not impacted by the development, the wetland boundaries
will be reviewed during the spring monitoring visit of each monitored year. If it appears that any
existing wetland areas are no longer saturated or inundated for sufficient duration to support
wetland conditions, those areas will be demarcated in the field and depicted on a map. Additional
mitigation may need to be provided, as described in the contingency plan in Section 15, below.
Photo points
No less than four permanent photo points will be established within the mitigation areas.
Photographs will be taken from these points to visually record condition of the mitigation areas.
Photos shall be taken annually between May 15 and September 30 (prior to leaf drop), unless
otherwise specified.
12.2 MONITORING REPORT CONTENTS
Monitoring reports shall be submitted by December 31 of each year during the monitoring period.
As applicable, monitoring reports must include descriptions / data for:
1. Site plan and vicinity map
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2. Historic description of project, including date of installation, current year of monitoring,
restatement of mitigation / restoration goals, and performance standards
3. Plant survival, vigor, and areal coverage for every plant community (transect or sampling
point data), and explanation of monitoring methodology in the context of assessing
performance standards
4. Wetland and buffer conditions, e.g., surrounding land use, use by humans, and/or wild
and domestic creatures
5. Observed wildlife, including amphibians, avians, and others
6. Assessment of nuisance / exotic biota and recommendations for management
7. Color photographs taken from permanent photo-points that shall be depicted on the
monitoring report map
13.0 PROJECT SUCCESS & COMPLIANCE
13.1 CRITERIA FOR SUCCESS
Upon completion of the proposed mitigation project, an inspection by a qualified biologist will be
made to determine plan compliance. A compliance report will be supplied to the City of Renton
within 30 days after the completion of planting. A landscape professional or wetland professional
will perform condition monitoring of the plantings in the spring and fall of each monitored year.
A written report describing the monitoring results will be submitted to the City after each site
inspection of each monitored year. Final inspection will occur five years after completion of this
project. The contracted consultant will prepare a report as to the success of the project.
13.2 DEFINITION OF SUCCESS
The planting areas shall meet the following performance standards:
a) End of Year 1
• 100 percent survival of newly planted species and
• Less than 10 percent cover of weedy/invasive species
b) End of Year 2
• 80 percent survival of newly planted species
• Less than 10 percent cover of weedy/invasive species
c) End of Year 3
• At least 50 percent native vegetation coverage within the mitigation areas*
• Less than 10 percent cover of weedy/invasive species
d) End of Year 5
• At least 80 percent aerial cover of native woody plant species*,
• Less than 10 percent cover of weedy/invasive species.
*Volunteering native species may be included in the aerial cover calculations.
The species mix should resemble that proposed in the planting plans, but strict adherence to
obtaining all of the species shall not be a criterion for success.
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14.0 MAINTENANCE
The mitigation areas will require periodic maintenance to remove undesirable species and replace
vegetation mortality. Maintenance shall occur in accordance with the approved plans. Chemical
control, only if approved by City staff, shall be applied by a licensed applicator following all label
instructions.
Duration and Extent
In order to achieve performance standards, the permittee shall have the mitigation area maintained
for the duration of the five-year monitoring period. Maintenance will include: watering, weeding
around the base of installed plants, pruning, replacement, re-staking, removal of all classes of
noxious weeds (see Washington State Noxious Weeds List, WAC 16-750-005) as well as Himalayan
blackberry, and any other measures needed to ensure plant survival. The landscape designer
and/or wetland professional shall direct all maintenance.
Survival
The permittee shall be responsible for the health of 100% of all newly installed plants for one growing
season after installation has been accepted by the City of Renton. A growing season for these
purposes is defined as occurring from spring to spring (March 15 to March 15 of the following
year). For fall installation (often required), the growing season will begin the following spring. The
permittee shall replace any plants that are: failing, weak, defective in manner of growth, or dead
during this growing season, as directed by the landscape designer, wetland professional, and/or
City of Renton staff.
Installation Timing for Replacement Plants
Replacement plants shall be installed between September 15 and January 15, unless otherwise
determined by the landscape designer, wetland professional, and/or City of Renton staff.
Standards for Replacement Plants
Replacement plants shall meet the same standards for size and type as those specified for the
original installation, unless otherwise directed by the landscape designer, wetland professional,
and/or City of Renton staff.
Replanting
Plants that have settled in their planting pits too deep, too shallow, loose, or crooked shall be
replanted as directed by the landscape designer, wetland professional, and/or City of Renton staff.
Herbicides / Pesticides
In general, chemical controls shall not be used in the mitigation area, sensitive areas, or their
buffers. However, limited use of herbicides may be approved depending on site-specific conditions,
only if approved by City of Renton staff.
Irrigation / Watering
Water shall be provided during the dry season (July 1 through October 15) for the first two years
after installation to ensure plant survival and establishment. A temporary above ground irrigation
system shall be installed within the Stream S buffer enhancement area and Wetland B buffer
enhancement area to provide water. Water shall be applied at a rate of 1” of water twice per week
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for year one and 1” per week during year two. If the mitigation plantings meet 80 percent survival
at the end of year two, the system may be removed.
General
The permittee shall include in general maintenance activities the replacement of any vandalized
or damaged signs, habitat features, fences, or other structural components of this mitigation site.
15.0 CONTINGENCY PLAN
If 20% of the plants are severely stressed during any of the inspections, or it appears 20 percent
may not survive, additional plantings of the same species may be added to the planting area.
Elements of a contingency plan may include, but will not be limited to: more aggressive weed
control, pest control, mulching, replanting with larger plant material, species substitution,
fertilization, soil amendments, and/or irrigation.
16.0 FENCING & SIGNAGE
Per RMC 4-3-050(G)(3)(f)-(h) outlines fencing and signage requirements. Prior to construction, the
outer extent of the approved critical area buffer and areas not to be disturbed shall be marked with
high visibility orange construction fencing and silt fencing. Subsequently, permanent fencing of the
native growth protection area containing critical area shall be installed, along with permanent signs
(made of wood or metal, adhered to treated or metal posts). Sign locations and size specifications
shall be approved by the city. RMC 4-3-050(G)(3)(h) recommends the following wording for signs,
“Protection of this natural area is in your care. Alteration or disturbance is
prohibited by law.”
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17.0 COST ESTIMATE & SURETY DEVICE
A surety device shall be provided to the City of Renton for the period of five years from the
completion of the project, in the amount of equal to the estimated cost for plant material and labor.
The City of Renton shall release this bond at the end of the five years, upon successful
determination for all portions of this mitigation project. This does not represent a bid to install.
The total estimated project cost is as follows:
517 1-gallon Plantings (including installation, @ $11.50/each) $5,945.50
84 2” cal. Plantings (including installation, @ $36.00/each) $3,024.00
Decompacting 33.26 Till/ Hardpan to 6” depth ($1.57/CY) $52.22
0.22-Acres of Temporary Irrigation ($3,000/AC) $660.00
6 Pieces of LWD ($245.00/Each) $1,470.00*
1,210 LF of Silt Fencing ($1.60/LF) $1,936.00
Woodchip Mulch, 2” Deep (By Hand) ($3.25/SY) $52.00
Topsoil, delivered and Spread ($35.73/CY) $594.19
1,210 LF of Split Rail Fencing, 3’ High (2-rail) ($10.54/LF) $12,753.40
12 Permanent Signs ($28.50/Each) $342.00
Maintenance (Twice/Year) $4,500.00
Monitoring for 5 Years $9,000.00
Total Estimated Project Cost $38,859.31
*If possible, material removed from the site will be salvaged for use as large woody debris
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18.0 USE OF THIS REPORT
This Critical Area Study & Conceptual Mitigation Plan is supplied to Blue Fern Development,
LLC as a means of determining on-site critical area conditions, as required by the City of Renton
during the permitting process. This report is based largely on readily observable conditions and,
to a lesser extent, on readily ascertainable conditions. No attempt has been made to determine
hidden or concealed conditions.
The laws applicable to wetlands are subject to varying interpretations and may be changed at any
time by the courts or legislative bodies. This report is intended to provide information deemed
relevant in the applicant's attempt to comply with the laws now in effect.
The work for this report has conformed to the standard of care employed by wetland ecologists.
No other representation or warranty is made concerning the work or this report, and any implied
representation or warranty is disclaimed.
Wetland Resources, Inc.
Scott Brainard, PWS
Principal Wetland Ecologist
Alia Richardson
Associate Ecologist & Wildlife Biologist
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19.0 REFERENCES
Anderson et al. 2016. Determining the Ordinary High Water Mark for Shoreline Management
Act Compliance in Washington State. WA Department of Ecology. Publication #16-06-
029.
Brinson, M.M. 1993. A Hydrogeomorphic Classification for Wetlands. Technical Report WRPDE-4. US
Army Engineers Waterways Experiment Station, Vicksburg, MS.
Cowardin, et al., 1979. Classification of Wetlands and Deepwater Habitats of the United States. U.S.
Department of the Interior. FWS/OBS-79/31. December 1979.
Ecology, Department of. Shoreline Master Programs Handbook (SMP Handbook). Washington State
Department of Ecology. Publication #11-06-010. Olympia, WA.
Lichvar, Tobert W. and J.T. Kartesz, 2014. National Wetland Plant List, Version 3.0. U.S. Army
Corps of Engineers Engineer Research and Development Center Cold Regions Research
and Engineering Laboratory, Hanover NH and BONAP, Chapel Hill, NC.
http://wetland_plants.usace.army.mil
Hruby, T. 2014. Washington State Wetland Rating System for Western Washington: 2014 Update.
Publication #14-06-029. Washington Department of Ecology. Olympia, WA.
King County. 2019. iMap Interactive Mapping Tool.
http://www.kingcounty.gov/operations/GIS/Maps/iMAP.aspx.
Munsell Color. 2012. Munsell Soil Color Book. Munsell Color, Grand Rapids, MI.
NRCS. 2018. Web Soil Survey. United States Department of Agriculture.
http://websoilsurvey.sc.egov.usda.gov/App/WebSoilSurvey.aspx.
Sheldon, D., T. Hruby, P. Johnson, K. Harper, A. McMillan, T. Granger, S. Stanley, and E.
Stockdale. March 2005. Wetlands in Washington State - Volume 1: A Synthesis of the Science.
Washington State Department of Ecology. Publication #05-06-006. Olympia, WA.
Renton, City of. Renton Municipal Code. 4-3-050 Critical Areas Regulations (current through
Ordinance 5921, passed February 11, 2019).
Renton, City of. City of Renton Maps of Your Community.
http://rp.rentonwa.gov/HTML5Public/Index.HTML?viewer=CORMaps
US Army COE. 2010. Regional Supplement to the Corps of Engineers Wetland Delineation Manual: Western
Mountains, Valleys, and Coast Region (Version 2.0). Vicksburg, MS
USFWS. 2019. National Wetlands Inventory (NWI) Online Mapper.
http://www.fws.gov/wetlands/Data/Mapper.html.
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Critical Area Study & Conceptual Mitigation Plan Wetland Resources, Inc. #18158
Blue Fern Development – Canopy 15 Revision 3: July 14, 2021
WDFW. 2019. Priority Habitat and Species (PHS) Interactive Map.
http://apps.wdfw.wa.gov/phsontheweb/.
WDFW. 2019. SalmonScape Online Mapping Application.
http://apps.wdfw.wa.gov/salmonscape/map.html.
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APPENDIX A
WETLAND DETERMINATION
DATA FORMS
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US Army Corps of Engineers Western Mountains, Valleys, and Coast – Version 2.0
WETLAND DETERMINATION DATA FORM – Western Mountains, Valleys, and Coast Region
Project/Site:
City/County:
Sampling Date:
Applicant/Owner:
State:
Sampling Point:
Investigator(s):
Section, Township, Range:
Landform (hillslope, terrace, etc.):
Local relief (concave, convex, none):
Slope (%):
Subregion (LRR):
Lat:
Long:
Datum:
Soil Map Unit Name:
NWI classification:
Are climatic / hydrologic conditions on the site typical for this time of year? Yes No (If no, explain in Remarks.)
Are Vegetation
, Soil
, or Hydrology
significantly disturbed? Are “Normal Circumstances” present? Yes No
Are Vegetation
, Soil
, or Hydrology
naturally problematic? (If needed, explain any answers in Remarks.)
SUMMARY OF FINDINGS – Attach site map showing sampling point locations, transects, important features, etc.
Hydrophytic Vegetation Present? Yes No
Hydric Soil Present? Yes No
Wetland Hydrology Present? Yes No
Is the Sampled Area
within a Wetland? Yes No
Remarks:
VEGETATION – Use scientific names of plants.
Absolute Dominant Indicator
Tree Stratum (Plot size:
) % Cover Species? Status
1.
2.
3.
4.
= Total Cover Sapling/Shrub Stratum (Plot size:
)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
= Total Cover
Herb Stratum (Plot size:
)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
= Total Cover
Woody Vine Stratum (Plot size:
)
1.
2.
= Total Cover
% Bare Ground in Herb Stratum
Dominance Test worksheet:
Number of Dominant Species
That Are OBL, FACW, or FAC:
(A)
Total Number of Dominant
Species Across All Strata:
(B)
Percent of Dominant Species
That Are OBL, FACW, or FAC:
(A/B)
Prevalence Index worksheet:
Total % Cover of: Multiply by:
OBL species
x 1 =
FACW species
x 2 =
FAC species
x 3 =
FACU species
x 4 =
UPL species
x 5 =
Column Totals:
(A)
(B)
Prevalence Index = B/A =
Hydrophytic Vegetation Indicators:
Rapid Test for Hydrophytic Vegetation
Dominance Test is >50%
Prevalence Index is ≤3.01
Morphological Adaptations1 (Provide supporting
data in Remarks or on a separate sheet)
Wetland Non-Vascular Plants1
Problematic Hydrophytic Vegetation1 (Explain)
1Indicators of hydric soil and wetland hydrology must
be present, unless disturbed or problematic.
Hydrophytic
Vegetation
Present? Yes No
Remarks:
Blue Fern Development - Vino Veritas Vista City of Renton/King Co.5/23/2018
Blue Fern Development, LLC WA S1 (Wet. C)
J. Rothwell, T. Amen S32, T24N, R05E, W.M.
Hillslope None 8%
LRR-A 47.529 -122.180 NAD83
Alderwood gravelly sandy loam, 8 to 15 percent slopes PSS
4
4
4
4
4 4
Inside Wetland C
5m^2
Alnus rubra*50 Y FAC
Pseudotsuga menziesii*15 Y FACU
Acer macrophyllum*10 N FACU
75
3m^2
Rubus armneiacus 40 Y FAC
Corylus cornuta*20 Y FACU
Rubus spectabilis 15 Y FAC
75
1m^2
Lysichiton americanus 50 Y OBL
Equisetum telmateia 10 Y FAC
60
3m^2
0
40
4
7
71%
0
0
0
0
0
0 0
4
4
* = Not rooted in wetland
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US Army Corps of Engineers Western Mountains, Valleys, and Coast – Version 2.0
SOIL Sampling Point:
Profile Description: (Describe to the depth needed to document the indicator or confirm the absence of indicators.)
Depth Matrix Redox Features
(inches) Color (moist) % Color (moist) % Type1 Loc2 Texture Remarks
1Type: C=Concentration, D=Depletion, RM=Reduced Matrix, CS=Covered or Coated Sand Grains. 2Location: PL=Pore Lining, M=Matrix.
Hydric Soil Indicators: (Applicable to all LRRs, unless otherwise noted.) Indicators for Problematic Hydric Soils3:
Histosol (A1) Sandy Redox (S5) 2 cm Muck (A10)
Histic Epipedon (A2) Stripped Matrix (S6) Red Parent Material (TF2)
Black Histic (A3) Loamy Mucky Mineral (F1) (except MLRA 1) Very Shallow Dark Surface (TF12)
Hydrogen Sulfide (A4) Loamy Gleyed Matrix (F2) Other (Explain in Remarks)
Depleted Below Dark Surface (A11) Depleted Matrix (F3)
Thick Dark Surface (A12) Redox Dark Surface (F6) 3Indicators of hydrophytic vegetation and
Sandy Mucky Mineral (S1) Depleted Dark Surface (F7) wetland hydrology must be present,
Sandy Gleyed Matrix (S4) Redox Depressions (F8) unless disturbed or problematic.
Restrictive Layer (if present):
Type:________________________________
Depth (inches):________________________
Hydric Soil Present? Yes No
Remarks:
HYDROLOGY
Wetland Hydrology Indicators:
Primary Indicators (minimum of one required; check all that apply) Secondary Indicators (2 or more required)
Surface Water (A1) Water-Stained Leaves (B9) (except MLRA Water-Stained Leaves (B9) (MLRA 1, 2,
High Water Table (A2) 1, 2, 4A, and 4B) 4A, and 4B)
Saturation (A3) Salt Crust (B11) Drainage Patterns (B10)
Water Marks (B1) Aquatic Invertebrates (B13) Dry-Season Water Table (C2)
Sediment Deposits (B2) Hydrogen Sulfide Odor (C1) Saturation Visible on Aerial Imagery (C9)
Drift Deposits (B3) Oxidized Rhizospheres along Living Roots (C3) Geomorphic Position (D2)
Algal Mat or Crust (B4) Presence of Reduced Iron (C4) Shallow Aquitard (D3)
Iron Deposits (B5) Recent Iron Reduction in Tilled Soils (C6) FAC-Neutral Test (D5)
Surface Soil Cracks (B6) Stunted or Stressed Plants (D1) (LRR A) Raised Ant Mounds (D6) (LRR A)
Inundation Visible on Aerial Imagery (B7) Other (Explain in Remarks) Frost-Heave Hummocks (D7)
Sparsely Vegetated Concave Surface (B8)
Field Observations:
Surface Water Present? Yes No Depth (inches):
Water Table Present? Yes No Depth (inches):
Saturation Present? Yes No Depth (inches):
(includes capillary fringe)
Wetland Hydrology Present? Yes No
Describe Recorded Data (stream gauge, monitoring well, aerial photos, previous inspections), if available:
Remarks:
S1 (Wet. C)
0-9 2.5Y 3/1 100 Sandy Loam
9-16 Gley 1 4/N 80 2.5Y 4/6 20 C M Sandy Loam
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4 9"
4 Surface 4
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US Army Corps of Engineers Western Mountains, Valleys, and Coast – Version 2.0
WETLAND DETERMINATION DATA FORM – Western Mountains, Valleys, and Coast Region
Project/Site:
City/County:
Sampling Date:
Applicant/Owner:
State:
Sampling Point:
Investigator(s):
Section, Township, Range:
Landform (hillslope, terrace, etc.):
Local relief (concave, convex, none):
Slope (%):
Subregion (LRR):
Lat:
Long:
Datum:
Soil Map Unit Name:
NWI classification:
Are climatic / hydrologic conditions on the site typical for this time of year? Yes No (If no, explain in Remarks.)
Are Vegetation
, Soil
, or Hydrology
significantly disturbed? Are “Normal Circumstances” present? Yes No
Are Vegetation
, Soil
, or Hydrology
naturally problematic? (If needed, explain any answers in Remarks.)
SUMMARY OF FINDINGS – Attach site map showing sampling point locations, transects, important features, etc.
Hydrophytic Vegetation Present? Yes No
Hydric Soil Present? Yes No
Wetland Hydrology Present? Yes No
Is the Sampled Area
within a Wetland? Yes No
Remarks:
VEGETATION – Use scientific names of plants.
Absolute Dominant Indicator
Tree Stratum (Plot size:
) % Cover Species? Status
1.
2.
3.
4.
= Total Cover Sapling/Shrub Stratum (Plot size:
)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
= Total Cover
Herb Stratum (Plot size:
)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
= Total Cover
Woody Vine Stratum (Plot size:
)
1.
2.
= Total Cover
% Bare Ground in Herb Stratum
Dominance Test worksheet:
Number of Dominant Species
That Are OBL, FACW, or FAC:
(A)
Total Number of Dominant
Species Across All Strata:
(B)
Percent of Dominant Species
That Are OBL, FACW, or FAC:
(A/B)
Prevalence Index worksheet:
Total % Cover of: Multiply by:
OBL species
x 1 =
FACW species
x 2 =
FAC species
x 3 =
FACU species
x 4 =
UPL species
x 5 =
Column Totals:
(A)
(B)
Prevalence Index = B/A =
Hydrophytic Vegetation Indicators:
Rapid Test for Hydrophytic Vegetation
Dominance Test is >50%
Prevalence Index is ≤3.01
Morphological Adaptations1 (Provide supporting
data in Remarks or on a separate sheet)
Wetland Non-Vascular Plants1
Problematic Hydrophytic Vegetation1 (Explain)
1Indicators of hydric soil and wetland hydrology must
be present, unless disturbed or problematic.
Hydrophytic
Vegetation
Present? Yes No
Remarks:
Blue Fern Development - Vino Veritas Vista City of Renton 5/23/2018
Blue Fern Development, LLC WA S2
J. Rothwell, T. Amen S32, T24N, R05E, W.M.
Hillslope None 8%
LRR-A 47.529 -122.180 NAD83
Alderwood gravelly sandy loam, 8 to 15 percent slopes N/A
4
4
4
4
4 4
Outside Wetland C
5m^2
Alnus rubra 100 Y FAC
100
3m^2
Rubus armeniacus 80 Y FAC
Ilex aquifolium 25 Y FACU
Crataegus monogyna 5 N FACU
110
1m^2
Pteridium aquilinum 10 Y FACU
Equisetum telmateia 5 Y FACW
15
3m^2
0
85
3
5
60%
0
0
0
0
0
0 0
4
4
DocuSign Envelope ID: AC93AC96-23C9-407A-AD8C-ABF7C947B8E5
US Army Corps of Engineers Western Mountains, Valleys, and Coast – Version 2.0
SOIL Sampling Point:
Profile Description: (Describe to the depth needed to document the indicator or confirm the absence of indicators.)
Depth Matrix Redox Features
(inches) Color (moist) % Color (moist) % Type1 Loc2 Texture Remarks
1Type: C=Concentration, D=Depletion, RM=Reduced Matrix, CS=Covered or Coated Sand Grains. 2Location: PL=Pore Lining, M=Matrix.
Hydric Soil Indicators: (Applicable to all LRRs, unless otherwise noted.) Indicators for Problematic Hydric Soils3:
Histosol (A1) Sandy Redox (S5) 2 cm Muck (A10)
Histic Epipedon (A2) Stripped Matrix (S6) Red Parent Material (TF2)
Black Histic (A3) Loamy Mucky Mineral (F1) (except MLRA 1) Very Shallow Dark Surface (TF12)
Hydrogen Sulfide (A4) Loamy Gleyed Matrix (F2) Other (Explain in Remarks)
Depleted Below Dark Surface (A11) Depleted Matrix (F3)
Thick Dark Surface (A12) Redox Dark Surface (F6) 3Indicators of hydrophytic vegetation and
Sandy Mucky Mineral (S1) Depleted Dark Surface (F7) wetland hydrology must be present,
Sandy Gleyed Matrix (S4) Redox Depressions (F8) unless disturbed or problematic.
Restrictive Layer (if present):
Type:________________________________
Depth (inches):________________________
Hydric Soil Present? Yes No
Remarks:
HYDROLOGY
Wetland Hydrology Indicators:
Primary Indicators (minimum of one required; check all that apply) Secondary Indicators (2 or more required)
Surface Water (A1) Water-Stained Leaves (B9) (except MLRA Water-Stained Leaves (B9) (MLRA 1, 2,
High Water Table (A2) 1, 2, 4A, and 4B) 4A, and 4B)
Saturation (A3) Salt Crust (B11) Drainage Patterns (B10)
Water Marks (B1) Aquatic Invertebrates (B13) Dry-Season Water Table (C2)
Sediment Deposits (B2) Hydrogen Sulfide Odor (C1) Saturation Visible on Aerial Imagery (C9)
Drift Deposits (B3) Oxidized Rhizospheres along Living Roots (C3) Geomorphic Position (D2)
Algal Mat or Crust (B4) Presence of Reduced Iron (C4) Shallow Aquitard (D3)
Iron Deposits (B5) Recent Iron Reduction in Tilled Soils (C6) FAC-Neutral Test (D5)
Surface Soil Cracks (B6) Stunted or Stressed Plants (D1) (LRR A) Raised Ant Mounds (D6) (LRR A)
Inundation Visible on Aerial Imagery (B7) Other (Explain in Remarks) Frost-Heave Hummocks (D7)
Sparsely Vegetated Concave Surface (B8)
Field Observations:
Surface Water Present? Yes No Depth (inches):
Water Table Present? Yes No Depth (inches):
Saturation Present? Yes No Depth (inches):
(includes capillary fringe)
Wetland Hydrology Present? Yes No
Describe Recorded Data (stream gauge, monitoring well, aerial photos, previous inspections), if available:
Remarks:
S2
0-14 10YR 3/2 100 Sandy Loam
14-17 2.5Y 4/3 100 Sandy Loam
4
4
4
4
4 4
DocuSign Envelope ID: AC93AC96-23C9-407A-AD8C-ABF7C947B8E5
US Army Corps of Engineers Western Mountains, Valleys, and Coast – Version 2.0
WETLAND DETERMINATION DATA FORM – Western Mountains, Valleys, and Coast Region
Project/Site: City/County: Sampling Date:
Applicant/Owner: State: Sampling Point:
Investigator(s): Section, Township, Range:
Landform (hillslope, terrace, etc.): Local relief (concave, convex, none): Slope (%):
Subregion (LRR): Lat: Long: Datum:
Soil Map Unit Name: NWI classification:
Are climatic / hydrologic conditions on the site typical for this time of year? Yes No (If no, explain in Remarks.)
Are Vegetation , Soil , or Hydrology significantly disturbed? Are “Normal Circumstances” present? Yes No
Are Vegetation , Soil , or Hydrology naturally problematic? (If needed, explain any answers in Remarks.)
SUMMARY OF FINDINGS – Attach site map showing sampling point locations, transects, important features, etc.
Hydrophytic Vegetation Present? Yes No
Hydric Soil Present? Yes No
Wetland Hydrology Present? Yes No
Is the Sampled Area
within a Wetland? Yes No
Remarks:
VEGETATION – Use scientific names of plants.
Absolute Dominant Indicator
Tree Stratum (Plot size: ) % Cover Species? Status
1.
2.
3.
4.
= Total Cover Sapling/Shrub Stratum (Plot size: )
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
= Total Cover
Herb Stratum (Plot size: )
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
= Total Cover
Woody Vine Stratum (Plot size: )
1.
2.
= Total Cover
% Bare Ground in Herb Stratum
Dominance Test worksheet:
Number of Dominant Species
That Are OBL, FACW, or FAC: (A)
Total Number of Dominant
Species Across All Strata: (B)
Percent of Dominant Species
That Are OBL, FACW, or FAC: (A/B)
Prevalence Index worksheet:
Total % Cover of: Multiply by:
OBL species x 1 =
FACW species x 2 =
FAC species x 3 =
FACU species x 4 =
UPL species x 5 =
Column Totals: (A)(B)
Prevalence Index = B/A =
Hydrophytic Vegetation Indicators:
Rapid Test for Hydrophytic Vegetation
Dominance Test is >50%
Prevalence Index is ≤3.01
Morphological Adaptations1 (Provide supporting
data in Remarks or on a separate sheet)
Wetland Non-Vascular Plants1
Problematic Hydrophytic Vegetation1 (Explain)
1Indicators of hydric soil and wetland hydrology must
be present, unless disturbed or problematic.
Hydrophytic
Vegetation
Present? Yes No
Remarks:
Blue Fern Development - Vino Veritas Vista City of Renton 5/23/2018
Blue Fern Development, LLC WA S3
J. Rothwell, T. Amen S32, T24N, R05E, W.M.
Upland hillslope Concave 10%
LRR-A 47.529 -122.180 NAD83
Alderwood gravelly sandy loam, 8 to 15 percent slopes None
4
4
4
4
4 4
Upland - small depression on hillside
5m^2
Alnus rubra 100 Y FAC
100
3m^2
Rubus armeniacus 100 Y FAC
Salix sitchensis 30 Y FACW
130
1m^2
Equisetum telmateia 10 Y FACW
Polystichum munitum 5 Y FACU
15
3m^2
0
85
4
5
80%
0
0
0
0
0
0 0
4
4
DocuSign Envelope ID: AC93AC96-23C9-407A-AD8C-ABF7C947B8E5
US Army Corps of Engineers Western Mountains, Valleys, and Coast – Version 2.0
SOIL Sampling Point:
Profile Description: (Describe to the depth needed to document the indicator or confirm the absence of indicators.)
Depth Matrix Redox Features
(inches) Color (moist) % Color (moist) % Type1 Loc2 Texture Remarks
1Type: C=Concentration, D=Depletion, RM=Reduced Matrix, CS=Covered or Coated Sand Grains. 2Location: PL=Pore Lining, M=Matrix.
Hydric Soil Indicators: (Applicable to all LRRs, unless otherwise noted.) Indicators for Problematic Hydric Soils3:
Histosol (A1) Sandy Redox (S5) 2 cm Muck (A10)
Histic Epipedon (A2) Stripped Matrix (S6) Red Parent Material (TF2)
Black Histic (A3) Loamy Mucky Mineral (F1) (except MLRA 1) Very Shallow Dark Surface (TF12)
Hydrogen Sulfide (A4) Loamy Gleyed Matrix (F2) Other (Explain in Remarks)
Depleted Below Dark Surface (A11) Depleted Matrix (F3)
Thick Dark Surface (A12) Redox Dark Surface (F6) 3Indicators of hydrophytic vegetation and
Sandy Mucky Mineral (S1) Depleted Dark Surface (F7) wetland hydrology must be present,
Sandy Gleyed Matrix (S4) Redox Depressions (F8) unless disturbed or problematic.
Restrictive Layer (if present):
Type:________________________________
Depth (inches):________________________
Hydric Soil Present? Yes No
Remarks:
HYDROLOGY
Wetland Hydrology Indicators:
Primary Indicators (minimum of one required; check all that apply) Secondary Indicators (2 or more required)
Surface Water (A1) Water-Stained Leaves (B9) (except MLRA Water-Stained Leaves (B9) (MLRA 1, 2,
High Water Table (A2) 1, 2, 4A, and 4B) 4A, and 4B)
Saturation (A3) Salt Crust (B11) Drainage Patterns (B10)
Water Marks (B1) Aquatic Invertebrates (B13) Dry-Season Water Table (C2)
Sediment Deposits (B2) Hydrogen Sulfide Odor (C1) Saturation Visible on Aerial Imagery (C9)
Drift Deposits (B3) Oxidized Rhizospheres along Living Roots (C3) Geomorphic Position (D2)
Algal Mat or Crust (B4) Presence of Reduced Iron (C4) Shallow Aquitard (D3)
Iron Deposits (B5) Recent Iron Reduction in Tilled Soils (C6) FAC-Neutral Test (D5)
Surface Soil Cracks (B6) Stunted or Stressed Plants (D1) (LRR A) Raised Ant Mounds (D6) (LRR A)
Inundation Visible on Aerial Imagery (B7) Other (Explain in Remarks) Frost-Heave Hummocks (D7)
Sparsely Vegetated Concave Surface (B8)
Field Observations:
Surface Water Present? Yes No Depth (inches):
Water Table Present? Yes No Depth (inches):
Saturation Present? Yes No Depth (inches):
(includes capillary fringe)
Wetland Hydrology Present? Yes No
Describe Recorded Data (stream gauge, monitoring well, aerial photos, previous inspections), if available:
Remarks:
S3
0-6 10YR 2/2 100 Sandy Clay Loam
6-9 2.5Y 3/2 85 7.5YR 3/4 15 C M Sandy Loam
9-17 2.5Y 4/3 90 7.5YR 3/4 10 C M Sandy Loam
4
4
4
4
4
4 6"4
DocuSign Envelope ID: AC93AC96-23C9-407A-AD8C-ABF7C947B8E5
US Army Corps of Engineers Western Mountains, Valleys, and Coast – Version 2.0
WETLAND DETERMINATION DATA FORM – Western Mountains, Valleys, and Coast Region
Project/Site:
City/County:
Sampling Date:
Applicant/Owner:
State:
Sampling Point:
Investigator(s):
Section, Township, Range:
Landform (hillslope, terrace, etc.):
Local relief (concave, convex, none):
Slope (%):
Subregion (LRR):
Lat:
Long:
Datum:
Soil Map Unit Name:
NWI classification:
Are climatic / hydrologic conditions on the site typical for this time of year? Yes No (If no, explain in Remarks.)
Are Vegetation
, Soil
, or Hydrology
significantly disturbed? Are “Normal Circumstances” present? Yes No
Are Vegetation
, Soil
, or Hydrology
naturally problematic? (If needed, explain any answers in Remarks.)
SUMMARY OF FINDINGS – Attach site map showing sampling point locations, transects, important features, etc.
Hydrophytic Vegetation Present? Yes No
Hydric Soil Present? Yes No
Wetland Hydrology Present? Yes No
Is the Sampled Area
within a Wetland? Yes No
Remarks:
VEGETATION – Use scientific names of plants.
Absolute Dominant Indicator
Tree Stratum (Plot size:
) % Cover Species? Status
1.
2.
3.
4.
= Total Cover Sapling/Shrub Stratum (Plot size:
)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
= Total Cover
Herb Stratum (Plot size:
)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
= Total Cover
Woody Vine Stratum (Plot size:
)
1.
2.
= Total Cover
% Bare Ground in Herb Stratum
Dominance Test worksheet:
Number of Dominant Species
That Are OBL, FACW, or FAC:
(A)
Total Number of Dominant
Species Across All Strata:
(B)
Percent of Dominant Species
That Are OBL, FACW, or FAC:
(A/B)
Prevalence Index worksheet:
Total % Cover of: Multiply by:
OBL species
x 1 =
FACW species
x 2 =
FAC species
x 3 =
FACU species
x 4 =
UPL species
x 5 =
Column Totals:
(A)
(B)
Prevalence Index = B/A =
Hydrophytic Vegetation Indicators:
Rapid Test for Hydrophytic Vegetation
Dominance Test is >50%
Prevalence Index is ≤3.01
Morphological Adaptations1 (Provide supporting
data in Remarks or on a separate sheet)
Wetland Non-Vascular Plants1
Problematic Hydrophytic Vegetation1 (Explain)
1Indicators of hydric soil and wetland hydrology must
be present, unless disturbed or problematic.
Hydrophytic
Vegetation
Present? Yes No
Remarks:
Blue Fern Development - Vino Veritas Vista City of Renton/King Co.5/23/2018
Blue Fern Development, LLC WA S5
J. Rothwell, T. Amen S32, T24N, R05E, W.M.
Upland hillslope None 9%
LRR-A 47.529 -122.180 NAD83
Alderwood gravelly sandy loam, 8 to 15 percent slopes None
4
4
4
4
4 4
Outside Wetland B
5m^2
Alnus rubra 90 Y FAC
90
3m^2
Rubus armeniacus 100 Y FAC
Crataegus monogyna 15 N FAC
115
1m^2
Polystichum munitum 15 Y FACU
Equisetum telmateia 5 Y FACW
20
3m^2
0
80
3
4
75%
0
0
0
0
0
0 0
4
4
DocuSign Envelope ID: AC93AC96-23C9-407A-AD8C-ABF7C947B8E5
US Army Corps of Engineers Western Mountains, Valleys, and Coast – Version 2.0
SOIL Sampling Point:
Profile Description: (Describe to the depth needed to document the indicator or confirm the absence of indicators.)
Depth Matrix Redox Features
(inches) Color (moist) % Color (moist) % Type1 Loc2 Texture Remarks
1Type: C=Concentration, D=Depletion, RM=Reduced Matrix, CS=Covered or Coated Sand Grains. 2Location: PL=Pore Lining, M=Matrix.
Hydric Soil Indicators: (Applicable to all LRRs, unless otherwise noted.) Indicators for Problematic Hydric Soils3:
Histosol (A1) Sandy Redox (S5) 2 cm Muck (A10)
Histic Epipedon (A2) Stripped Matrix (S6) Red Parent Material (TF2)
Black Histic (A3) Loamy Mucky Mineral (F1) (except MLRA 1) Very Shallow Dark Surface (TF12)
Hydrogen Sulfide (A4) Loamy Gleyed Matrix (F2) Other (Explain in Remarks)
Depleted Below Dark Surface (A11) Depleted Matrix (F3)
Thick Dark Surface (A12) Redox Dark Surface (F6) 3Indicators of hydrophytic vegetation and
Sandy Mucky Mineral (S1) Depleted Dark Surface (F7) wetland hydrology must be present,
Sandy Gleyed Matrix (S4) Redox Depressions (F8) unless disturbed or problematic.
Restrictive Layer (if present):
Type:________________________________
Depth (inches):________________________
Hydric Soil Present? Yes No
Remarks:
HYDROLOGY
Wetland Hydrology Indicators:
Primary Indicators (minimum of one required; check all that apply) Secondary Indicators (2 or more required)
Surface Water (A1) Water-Stained Leaves (B9) (except MLRA Water-Stained Leaves (B9) (MLRA 1, 2,
High Water Table (A2) 1, 2, 4A, and 4B) 4A, and 4B)
Saturation (A3) Salt Crust (B11) Drainage Patterns (B10)
Water Marks (B1) Aquatic Invertebrates (B13) Dry-Season Water Table (C2)
Sediment Deposits (B2) Hydrogen Sulfide Odor (C1) Saturation Visible on Aerial Imagery (C9)
Drift Deposits (B3) Oxidized Rhizospheres along Living Roots (C3) Geomorphic Position (D2)
Algal Mat or Crust (B4) Presence of Reduced Iron (C4) Shallow Aquitard (D3)
Iron Deposits (B5) Recent Iron Reduction in Tilled Soils (C6) FAC-Neutral Test (D5)
Surface Soil Cracks (B6) Stunted or Stressed Plants (D1) (LRR A) Raised Ant Mounds (D6) (LRR A)
Inundation Visible on Aerial Imagery (B7) Other (Explain in Remarks) Frost-Heave Hummocks (D7)
Sparsely Vegetated Concave Surface (B8)
Field Observations:
Surface Water Present? Yes No Depth (inches):
Water Table Present? Yes No Depth (inches):
Saturation Present? Yes No Depth (inches):
(includes capillary fringe)
Wetland Hydrology Present? Yes No
Describe Recorded Data (stream gauge, monitoring well, aerial photos, previous inspections), if available:
Remarks:
S5
0-10 10YR 3/2 100 Sandy Loam
10-17 10YR 3/3 98 10YR 4/4 2 C M Sandy Loam
4
4
4
4 4
DocuSign Envelope ID: AC93AC96-23C9-407A-AD8C-ABF7C947B8E5
US Army Corps of Engineers Western Mountains, Valleys, and Coast – Version 2.0
WETLAND DETERMINATION DATA FORM – Western Mountains, Valleys, and Coast Region
Project/Site:
City/County:
Sampling Date:
Applicant/Owner:
State:
Sampling Point:
Investigator(s):
Section, Township, Range:
Landform (hillslope, terrace, etc.):
Local relief (concave, convex, none):
Slope (%):
Subregion (LRR):
Lat:
Long:
Datum:
Soil Map Unit Name:
NWI classification:
Are climatic / hydrologic conditions on the site typical for this time of year? Yes No (If no, explain in Remarks.)
Are Vegetation
, Soil
, or Hydrology
significantly disturbed? Are “Normal Circumstances” present? Yes No
Are Vegetation
, Soil
, or Hydrology
naturally problematic? (If needed, explain any answers in Remarks.)
SUMMARY OF FINDINGS – Attach site map showing sampling point locations, transects, important features, etc.
Hydrophytic Vegetation Present? Yes No
Hydric Soil Present? Yes No
Wetland Hydrology Present? Yes No
Is the Sampled Area
within a Wetland? Yes No
Remarks:
VEGETATION – Use scientific names of plants.
Absolute Dominant Indicator
Tree Stratum (Plot size:
) % Cover Species? Status
1.
2.
3.
4.
= Total Cover Sapling/Shrub Stratum (Plot size:
)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
= Total Cover
Herb Stratum (Plot size:
)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
= Total Cover
Woody Vine Stratum (Plot size:
)
1.
2.
= Total Cover
% Bare Ground in Herb Stratum
Dominance Test worksheet:
Number of Dominant Species
That Are OBL, FACW, or FAC:
(A)
Total Number of Dominant
Species Across All Strata:
(B)
Percent of Dominant Species
That Are OBL, FACW, or FAC:
(A/B)
Prevalence Index worksheet:
Total % Cover of: Multiply by:
OBL species
x 1 =
FACW species
x 2 =
FAC species
x 3 =
FACU species
x 4 =
UPL species
x 5 =
Column Totals:
(A)
(B)
Prevalence Index = B/A =
Hydrophytic Vegetation Indicators:
Rapid Test for Hydrophytic Vegetation
Dominance Test is >50%
Prevalence Index is ≤3.01
Morphological Adaptations1 (Provide supporting
data in Remarks or on a separate sheet)
Wetland Non-Vascular Plants1
Problematic Hydrophytic Vegetation1 (Explain)
1Indicators of hydric soil and wetland hydrology must
be present, unless disturbed or problematic.
Hydrophytic
Vegetation
Present? Yes No
Remarks:
Blue Fern Development - Vino Veritas Vista City of Renton/King Co.5/24/2018
Blue Fern Development, LLC WA S6 (Wet. A)
J. Rothwell S32, T24N, R05E, W.M.
Outwash hillslope None 15%
LRR-A 47.529 -122.180 NAD83
Alderwood gravelly sandy loam, 8 to 15 percent slopes PFO
4
4
4
4
4 4
Inside Wetland A
5m^2
Alnus rubra 100 Y FAC
100
3m^2
Rubus armeniacus 20 Y FAC
20
1m^2
Phalaris arundinacea 100 Y FACW
Ranunculus repens 20 N FAC
Convolvulus arvensis Trace N NI
120
3m^2
0
0
3
3
100%
0
0
0
0
0
0 0
4
4
DocuSign Envelope ID: AC93AC96-23C9-407A-AD8C-ABF7C947B8E5
US Army Corps of Engineers Western Mountains, Valleys, and Coast – Version 2.0
SOIL Sampling Point:
Profile Description: (Describe to the depth needed to document the indicator or confirm the absence of indicators.)
Depth Matrix Redox Features
(inches) Color (moist) % Color (moist) % Type1 Loc2 Texture Remarks
1Type: C=Concentration, D=Depletion, RM=Reduced Matrix, CS=Covered or Coated Sand Grains. 2Location: PL=Pore Lining, M=Matrix.
Hydric Soil Indicators: (Applicable to all LRRs, unless otherwise noted.) Indicators for Problematic Hydric Soils3:
Histosol (A1) Sandy Redox (S5) 2 cm Muck (A10)
Histic Epipedon (A2) Stripped Matrix (S6) Red Parent Material (TF2)
Black Histic (A3) Loamy Mucky Mineral (F1) (except MLRA 1) Very Shallow Dark Surface (TF12)
Hydrogen Sulfide (A4) Loamy Gleyed Matrix (F2) Other (Explain in Remarks)
Depleted Below Dark Surface (A11) Depleted Matrix (F3)
Thick Dark Surface (A12) Redox Dark Surface (F6) 3Indicators of hydrophytic vegetation and
Sandy Mucky Mineral (S1) Depleted Dark Surface (F7) wetland hydrology must be present,
Sandy Gleyed Matrix (S4) Redox Depressions (F8) unless disturbed or problematic.
Restrictive Layer (if present):
Type:________________________________
Depth (inches):________________________
Hydric Soil Present? Yes No
Remarks:
HYDROLOGY
Wetland Hydrology Indicators:
Primary Indicators (minimum of one required; check all that apply) Secondary Indicators (2 or more required)
Surface Water (A1) Water-Stained Leaves (B9) (except MLRA Water-Stained Leaves (B9) (MLRA 1, 2,
High Water Table (A2) 1, 2, 4A, and 4B) 4A, and 4B)
Saturation (A3) Salt Crust (B11) Drainage Patterns (B10)
Water Marks (B1) Aquatic Invertebrates (B13) Dry-Season Water Table (C2)
Sediment Deposits (B2) Hydrogen Sulfide Odor (C1) Saturation Visible on Aerial Imagery (C9)
Drift Deposits (B3) Oxidized Rhizospheres along Living Roots (C3) Geomorphic Position (D2)
Algal Mat or Crust (B4) Presence of Reduced Iron (C4) Shallow Aquitard (D3)
Iron Deposits (B5) Recent Iron Reduction in Tilled Soils (C6) FAC-Neutral Test (D5)
Surface Soil Cracks (B6) Stunted or Stressed Plants (D1) (LRR A) Raised Ant Mounds (D6) (LRR A)
Inundation Visible on Aerial Imagery (B7) Other (Explain in Remarks) Frost-Heave Hummocks (D7)
Sparsely Vegetated Concave Surface (B8)
Field Observations:
Surface Water Present? Yes No Depth (inches):
Water Table Present? Yes No Depth (inches):
Saturation Present? Yes No Depth (inches):
(includes capillary fringe)
Wetland Hydrology Present? Yes No
Describe Recorded Data (stream gauge, monitoring well, aerial photos, previous inspections), if available:
Remarks:
S6 (Wet. A)
0-16 7.5YR 2.5/1 100 Loam
4
Despite lack of visible indicators, soil is considered hydric due to presence of hydrophytic plant community and strong
presence of hydrology. Determination based on best professional judgment.
Possibly meets Thick Dark Surface (A12) indicator.
4
4
4
4
4 9"
4 Surface 4
DocuSign Envelope ID: AC93AC96-23C9-407A-AD8C-ABF7C947B8E5
US Army Corps of Engineers Western Mountains, Valleys, and Coast – Version 2.0
WETLAND DETERMINATION DATA FORM – Western Mountains, Valleys, and Coast Region
Project/Site:
City/County:
Sampling Date:
Applicant/Owner:
State:
Sampling Point:
Investigator(s):
Section, Township, Range:
Landform (hillslope, terrace, etc.):
Local relief (concave, convex, none):
Slope (%):
Subregion (LRR):
Lat:
Long:
Datum:
Soil Map Unit Name:
NWI classification:
Are climatic / hydrologic conditions on the site typical for this time of year? Yes No (If no, explain in Remarks.)
Are Vegetation
, Soil
, or Hydrology
significantly disturbed? Are “Normal Circumstances” present? Yes No
Are Vegetation
, Soil
, or Hydrology
naturally problematic? (If needed, explain any answers in Remarks.)
SUMMARY OF FINDINGS – Attach site map showing sampling point locations, transects, important features, etc.
Hydrophytic Vegetation Present? Yes No
Hydric Soil Present? Yes No
Wetland Hydrology Present? Yes No
Is the Sampled Area
within a Wetland? Yes No
Remarks:
VEGETATION – Use scientific names of plants.
Absolute Dominant Indicator
Tree Stratum (Plot size:
) % Cover Species? Status
1.
2.
3.
4.
= Total Cover Sapling/Shrub Stratum (Plot size:
)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
= Total Cover
Herb Stratum (Plot size:
)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
= Total Cover
Woody Vine Stratum (Plot size:
)
1.
2.
= Total Cover
% Bare Ground in Herb Stratum
Dominance Test worksheet:
Number of Dominant Species
That Are OBL, FACW, or FAC:
(A)
Total Number of Dominant
Species Across All Strata:
(B)
Percent of Dominant Species
That Are OBL, FACW, or FAC:
(A/B)
Prevalence Index worksheet:
Total % Cover of: Multiply by:
OBL species
x 1 =
FACW species
x 2 =
FAC species
x 3 =
FACU species
x 4 =
UPL species
x 5 =
Column Totals:
(A)
(B)
Prevalence Index = B/A =
Hydrophytic Vegetation Indicators:
Rapid Test for Hydrophytic Vegetation
Dominance Test is >50%
Prevalence Index is ≤3.01
Morphological Adaptations1 (Provide supporting
data in Remarks or on a separate sheet)
Wetland Non-Vascular Plants1
Problematic Hydrophytic Vegetation1 (Explain)
1Indicators of hydric soil and wetland hydrology must
be present, unless disturbed or problematic.
Hydrophytic
Vegetation
Present? Yes No
Remarks:
Blue Fern Development - Vino Veritas Vista City of Renton/King Co.5/24/2018
Blue Fern Development, LLC WA S7
J. Rothwell S32, T24N, R05E, W.M.
Upland hillslope None 15%
LRR-A 47.529 -122.180 NAD83
Alderwood gravelly sandy loam, 8 to 15 percent slopes
4
4
4
4
4 4
Outside Wetland A
5m^2
Alnus rubra 50 Y FAC
50
3m^2
Rubus armeniacus 10 Y FAC
10
1m^2
Phalaris arundinacea 40 Y FACW
Equisetum sp.30 Y
Ranunculus repens 15 N FAC
Gallium aparine 10 N FACU
Polystichum munitum 5 N FACU
100
3m^2
0
0
3
4
75%
0
0
0
0
0
0 0
4
4
DocuSign Envelope ID: AC93AC96-23C9-407A-AD8C-ABF7C947B8E5
US Army Corps of Engineers Western Mountains, Valleys, and Coast – Version 2.0
SOIL Sampling Point:
Profile Description: (Describe to the depth needed to document the indicator or confirm the absence of indicators.)
Depth Matrix Redox Features
(inches) Color (moist) % Color (moist) % Type1 Loc2 Texture Remarks
1Type: C=Concentration, D=Depletion, RM=Reduced Matrix, CS=Covered or Coated Sand Grains. 2Location: PL=Pore Lining, M=Matrix.
Hydric Soil Indicators: (Applicable to all LRRs, unless otherwise noted.) Indicators for Problematic Hydric Soils3:
Histosol (A1) Sandy Redox (S5) 2 cm Muck (A10)
Histic Epipedon (A2) Stripped Matrix (S6) Red Parent Material (TF2)
Black Histic (A3) Loamy Mucky Mineral (F1) (except MLRA 1) Very Shallow Dark Surface (TF12)
Hydrogen Sulfide (A4) Loamy Gleyed Matrix (F2) Other (Explain in Remarks)
Depleted Below Dark Surface (A11) Depleted Matrix (F3)
Thick Dark Surface (A12) Redox Dark Surface (F6) 3Indicators of hydrophytic vegetation and
Sandy Mucky Mineral (S1) Depleted Dark Surface (F7) wetland hydrology must be present,
Sandy Gleyed Matrix (S4) Redox Depressions (F8) unless disturbed or problematic.
Restrictive Layer (if present):
Type:________________________________
Depth (inches):________________________
Hydric Soil Present? Yes No
Remarks:
HYDROLOGY
Wetland Hydrology Indicators:
Primary Indicators (minimum of one required; check all that apply) Secondary Indicators (2 or more required)
Surface Water (A1) Water-Stained Leaves (B9) (except MLRA Water-Stained Leaves (B9) (MLRA 1, 2,
High Water Table (A2) 1, 2, 4A, and 4B) 4A, and 4B)
Saturation (A3) Salt Crust (B11) Drainage Patterns (B10)
Water Marks (B1) Aquatic Invertebrates (B13) Dry-Season Water Table (C2)
Sediment Deposits (B2) Hydrogen Sulfide Odor (C1) Saturation Visible on Aerial Imagery (C9)
Drift Deposits (B3) Oxidized Rhizospheres along Living Roots (C3) Geomorphic Position (D2)
Algal Mat or Crust (B4) Presence of Reduced Iron (C4) Shallow Aquitard (D3)
Iron Deposits (B5) Recent Iron Reduction in Tilled Soils (C6) FAC-Neutral Test (D5)
Surface Soil Cracks (B6) Stunted or Stressed Plants (D1) (LRR A) Raised Ant Mounds (D6) (LRR A)
Inundation Visible on Aerial Imagery (B7) Other (Explain in Remarks) Frost-Heave Hummocks (D7)
Sparsely Vegetated Concave Surface (B8)
Field Observations:
Surface Water Present? Yes No Depth (inches):
Water Table Present? Yes No Depth (inches):
Saturation Present? Yes No Depth (inches):
(includes capillary fringe)
Wetland Hydrology Present? Yes No
Describe Recorded Data (stream gauge, monitoring well, aerial photos, previous inspections), if available:
Remarks:
S7
0-18 10YR 3/2 100 Sandy Loam Very gritty texture
4
4
4
4 4
DocuSign Envelope ID: AC93AC96-23C9-407A-AD8C-ABF7C947B8E5
US Army Corps of Engineers Western Mountains, Valleys, and Coast – Version 2.0
WETLAND DETERMINATION DATA FORM – Western Mountains, Valleys, and Coast Region
Project/Site:
City/County:
Sampling Date:
Applicant/Owner:
State:
Sampling Point:
Investigator(s):
Section, Township, Range:
Landform (hillslope, terrace, etc.):
Local relief (concave, convex, none):
Slope (%):
Subregion (LRR):
Lat:
Long:
Datum:
Soil Map Unit Name:
NWI classification:
Are climatic / hydrologic conditions on the site typical for this time of year? Yes No (If no, explain in Remarks.)
Are Vegetation
, Soil
, or Hydrology
significantly disturbed? Are “Normal Circumstances” present? Yes No
Are Vegetation
, Soil
, or Hydrology
naturally problematic? (If needed, explain any answers in Remarks.)
SUMMARY OF FINDINGS – Attach site map showing sampling point locations, transects, important features, etc.
Hydrophytic Vegetation Present? Yes No
Hydric Soil Present? Yes No
Wetland Hydrology Present? Yes No
Is the Sampled Area
within a Wetland? Yes No
Remarks:
VEGETATION – Use scientific names of plants.
Absolute Dominant Indicator
Tree Stratum (Plot size:
) % Cover Species? Status
1.
2.
3.
4.
= Total Cover Sapling/Shrub Stratum (Plot size:
)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
= Total Cover
Herb Stratum (Plot size:
)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
= Total Cover
Woody Vine Stratum (Plot size:
)
1.
2.
= Total Cover
% Bare Ground in Herb Stratum
Dominance Test worksheet:
Number of Dominant Species
That Are OBL, FACW, or FAC:
(A)
Total Number of Dominant
Species Across All Strata:
(B)
Percent of Dominant Species
That Are OBL, FACW, or FAC:
(A/B)
Prevalence Index worksheet:
Total % Cover of: Multiply by:
OBL species
x 1 =
FACW species
x 2 =
FAC species
x 3 =
FACU species
x 4 =
UPL species
x 5 =
Column Totals:
(A)
(B)
Prevalence Index = B/A =
Hydrophytic Vegetation Indicators:
Rapid Test for Hydrophytic Vegetation
Dominance Test is >50%
Prevalence Index is ≤3.01
Morphological Adaptations1 (Provide supporting
data in Remarks or on a separate sheet)
Wetland Non-Vascular Plants1
Problematic Hydrophytic Vegetation1 (Explain)
1Indicators of hydric soil and wetland hydrology must
be present, unless disturbed or problematic.
Hydrophytic
Vegetation
Present? Yes No
Remarks:
Blue Fern Development - Vino Veritas Vista City of Renton/King Co.5/24/2018
Blue Fern Development, LLC WA S8 (Wet. D)
J. Rothwell S32, T24N, R05E, W.M.
Hillslope None 15%
LRR-A 47.529 -122.180 NAD83
Alderwood gravelly sandy loam, 8 to 15 percent slopes PEM/PSS
4
4
4
4
4 4
Inside Wetland D
5m^2
Alnus rubra 15 Y FAC
Prunus sp.10 Y
25
3m^2
Rubus armeniacus 25 Y FAC
Salix sitchensis 10 Y FACW
Cornus sericea 5 N FACW
40
1m^2
Glyceria striata 90 Y OBL
Carex stipata 10 N OBL
Equisetum telmateia 5 N FACW
Ranunculus repens Trace N FAC
Geranium robertianum Trace N FACU
105
3m^2
0
0
4
5
80%
0
0
0
0
0
0 0
4
4
DocuSign Envelope ID: AC93AC96-23C9-407A-AD8C-ABF7C947B8E5
US Army Corps of Engineers Western Mountains, Valleys, and Coast – Version 2.0
SOIL Sampling Point:
Profile Description: (Describe to the depth needed to document the indicator or confirm the absence of indicators.)
Depth Matrix Redox Features
(inches) Color (moist) % Color (moist) % Type1 Loc2 Texture Remarks
1Type: C=Concentration, D=Depletion, RM=Reduced Matrix, CS=Covered or Coated Sand Grains. 2Location: PL=Pore Lining, M=Matrix.
Hydric Soil Indicators: (Applicable to all LRRs, unless otherwise noted.) Indicators for Problematic Hydric Soils3:
Histosol (A1) Sandy Redox (S5) 2 cm Muck (A10)
Histic Epipedon (A2) Stripped Matrix (S6) Red Parent Material (TF2)
Black Histic (A3) Loamy Mucky Mineral (F1) (except MLRA 1) Very Shallow Dark Surface (TF12)
Hydrogen Sulfide (A4) Loamy Gleyed Matrix (F2) Other (Explain in Remarks)
Depleted Below Dark Surface (A11) Depleted Matrix (F3)
Thick Dark Surface (A12) Redox Dark Surface (F6) 3Indicators of hydrophytic vegetation and
Sandy Mucky Mineral (S1) Depleted Dark Surface (F7) wetland hydrology must be present,
Sandy Gleyed Matrix (S4) Redox Depressions (F8) unless disturbed or problematic.
Restrictive Layer (if present):
Type:________________________________
Depth (inches):________________________
Hydric Soil Present? Yes No
Remarks:
HYDROLOGY
Wetland Hydrology Indicators:
Primary Indicators (minimum of one required; check all that apply) Secondary Indicators (2 or more required)
Surface Water (A1) Water-Stained Leaves (B9) (except MLRA Water-Stained Leaves (B9) (MLRA 1, 2,
High Water Table (A2) 1, 2, 4A, and 4B) 4A, and 4B)
Saturation (A3) Salt Crust (B11) Drainage Patterns (B10)
Water Marks (B1) Aquatic Invertebrates (B13) Dry-Season Water Table (C2)
Sediment Deposits (B2) Hydrogen Sulfide Odor (C1) Saturation Visible on Aerial Imagery (C9)
Drift Deposits (B3) Oxidized Rhizospheres along Living Roots (C3) Geomorphic Position (D2)
Algal Mat or Crust (B4) Presence of Reduced Iron (C4) Shallow Aquitard (D3)
Iron Deposits (B5) Recent Iron Reduction in Tilled Soils (C6) FAC-Neutral Test (D5)
Surface Soil Cracks (B6) Stunted or Stressed Plants (D1) (LRR A) Raised Ant Mounds (D6) (LRR A)
Inundation Visible on Aerial Imagery (B7) Other (Explain in Remarks) Frost-Heave Hummocks (D7)
Sparsely Vegetated Concave Surface (B8)
Field Observations:
Surface Water Present? Yes No Depth (inches):
Water Table Present? Yes No Depth (inches):
Saturation Present? Yes No Depth (inches):
(includes capillary fringe)
Wetland Hydrology Present? Yes No
Describe Recorded Data (stream gauge, monitoring well, aerial photos, previous inspections), if available:
Remarks:
S8 (Wet. D)
0-8 10YR 2/2 100 Clay Loam
8-11 10YR 3/2 95 7.5YR 2.5/3 5 C M Clay Loam
11-17 10YR 4/2 93 7.5YR 2.5/3 7 C M Clay Loam
4
4
4
4
4
4
4 8"4
DocuSign Envelope ID: AC93AC96-23C9-407A-AD8C-ABF7C947B8E5
US Army Corps of Engineers Western Mountains, Valleys, and Coast – Version 2.0
WETLAND DETERMINATION DATA FORM – Western Mountains, Valleys, and Coast Region
Project/Site:
City/County:
Sampling Date:
Applicant/Owner:
State:
Sampling Point:
Investigator(s):
Section, Township, Range:
Landform (hillslope, terrace, etc.):
Local relief (concave, convex, none):
Slope (%):
Subregion (LRR):
Lat:
Long:
Datum:
Soil Map Unit Name:
NWI classification:
Are climatic / hydrologic conditions on the site typical for this time of year? Yes No (If no, explain in Remarks.)
Are Vegetation
, Soil
, or Hydrology
significantly disturbed? Are “Normal Circumstances” present? Yes No
Are Vegetation
, Soil
, or Hydrology
naturally problematic? (If needed, explain any answers in Remarks.)
SUMMARY OF FINDINGS – Attach site map showing sampling point locations, transects, important features, etc.
Hydrophytic Vegetation Present? Yes No
Hydric Soil Present? Yes No
Wetland Hydrology Present? Yes No
Is the Sampled Area
within a Wetland? Yes No
Remarks:
VEGETATION – Use scientific names of plants.
Absolute Dominant Indicator
Tree Stratum (Plot size:
) % Cover Species? Status
1.
2.
3.
4.
= Total Cover Sapling/Shrub Stratum (Plot size:
)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
= Total Cover
Herb Stratum (Plot size:
)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
= Total Cover
Woody Vine Stratum (Plot size:
)
1.
2.
= Total Cover
% Bare Ground in Herb Stratum
Dominance Test worksheet:
Number of Dominant Species
That Are OBL, FACW, or FAC:
(A)
Total Number of Dominant
Species Across All Strata:
(B)
Percent of Dominant Species
That Are OBL, FACW, or FAC:
(A/B)
Prevalence Index worksheet:
Total % Cover of: Multiply by:
OBL species
x 1 =
FACW species
x 2 =
FAC species
x 3 =
FACU species
x 4 =
UPL species
x 5 =
Column Totals:
(A)
(B)
Prevalence Index = B/A =
Hydrophytic Vegetation Indicators:
Rapid Test for Hydrophytic Vegetation
Dominance Test is >50%
Prevalence Index is ≤3.01
Morphological Adaptations1 (Provide supporting
data in Remarks or on a separate sheet)
Wetland Non-Vascular Plants1
Problematic Hydrophytic Vegetation1 (Explain)
1Indicators of hydric soil and wetland hydrology must
be present, unless disturbed or problematic.
Hydrophytic
Vegetation
Present? Yes No
Remarks:
Blue Fern Development - Vino Veritas Vista City of Renton/King Co.5/24/2018
Blue Fern Development, LLC WA S9
J. Rothwell S32, T24N, R05E, W.M.
Upland hillslope None 15%
LRR-A 47.529 -122.180 NAD83
Alderwood gravelly sandy loam, 8 to 15 percent slopes None
4
4
4
4
4 4
Outside Wetland D
5m^2
0
3m^2
Rubus armeniacus 60 Y FAC
60
1m^2
Polystichum munitum 25 Y FACU
Juncus effusus 20 Y FACW
Poa sp.10 N FAC
Epilobium ciliatum 10 N FACW
Carex stipata Trace N OBL
65
3m^2
35
2
3
66%
0
0
0
0
0
0 0
4
4
DocuSign Envelope ID: AC93AC96-23C9-407A-AD8C-ABF7C947B8E5
US Army Corps of Engineers Western Mountains, Valleys, and Coast – Version 2.0
SOIL Sampling Point:
Profile Description: (Describe to the depth needed to document the indicator or confirm the absence of indicators.)
Depth Matrix Redox Features
(inches) Color (moist) % Color (moist) % Type1 Loc2 Texture Remarks
1Type: C=Concentration, D=Depletion, RM=Reduced Matrix, CS=Covered or Coated Sand Grains. 2Location: PL=Pore Lining, M=Matrix.
Hydric Soil Indicators: (Applicable to all LRRs, unless otherwise noted.) Indicators for Problematic Hydric Soils3:
Histosol (A1) Sandy Redox (S5) 2 cm Muck (A10)
Histic Epipedon (A2) Stripped Matrix (S6) Red Parent Material (TF2)
Black Histic (A3) Loamy Mucky Mineral (F1) (except MLRA 1) Very Shallow Dark Surface (TF12)
Hydrogen Sulfide (A4) Loamy Gleyed Matrix (F2) Other (Explain in Remarks)
Depleted Below Dark Surface (A11) Depleted Matrix (F3)
Thick Dark Surface (A12) Redox Dark Surface (F6) 3Indicators of hydrophytic vegetation and
Sandy Mucky Mineral (S1) Depleted Dark Surface (F7) wetland hydrology must be present,
Sandy Gleyed Matrix (S4) Redox Depressions (F8) unless disturbed or problematic.
Restrictive Layer (if present):
Type:________________________________
Depth (inches):________________________
Hydric Soil Present? Yes No
Remarks:
HYDROLOGY
Wetland Hydrology Indicators:
Primary Indicators (minimum of one required; check all that apply) Secondary Indicators (2 or more required)
Surface Water (A1) Water-Stained Leaves (B9) (except MLRA Water-Stained Leaves (B9) (MLRA 1, 2,
High Water Table (A2) 1, 2, 4A, and 4B) 4A, and 4B)
Saturation (A3) Salt Crust (B11) Drainage Patterns (B10)
Water Marks (B1) Aquatic Invertebrates (B13) Dry-Season Water Table (C2)
Sediment Deposits (B2) Hydrogen Sulfide Odor (C1) Saturation Visible on Aerial Imagery (C9)
Drift Deposits (B3) Oxidized Rhizospheres along Living Roots (C3) Geomorphic Position (D2)
Algal Mat or Crust (B4) Presence of Reduced Iron (C4) Shallow Aquitard (D3)
Iron Deposits (B5) Recent Iron Reduction in Tilled Soils (C6) FAC-Neutral Test (D5)
Surface Soil Cracks (B6) Stunted or Stressed Plants (D1) (LRR A) Raised Ant Mounds (D6) (LRR A)
Inundation Visible on Aerial Imagery (B7) Other (Explain in Remarks) Frost-Heave Hummocks (D7)
Sparsely Vegetated Concave Surface (B8)
Field Observations:
Surface Water Present? Yes No Depth (inches):
Water Table Present? Yes No Depth (inches):
Saturation Present? Yes No Depth (inches):
(includes capillary fringe)
Wetland Hydrology Present? Yes No
Describe Recorded Data (stream gauge, monitoring well, aerial photos, previous inspections), if available:
Remarks:
S9
0-18 10YR 2/2 98 7.5YR 3/4 2 C M Sandy Loam
4
4
4
4 4
DocuSign Envelope ID: AC93AC96-23C9-407A-AD8C-ABF7C947B8E5
APPENDIX B
DOE WETLAND RATING
FORMS
DocuSign Envelope ID: AC93AC96-23C9-407A-AD8C-ABF7C947B8E5
THIS PAGE IS INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK
DocuSign Envelope ID: AC93AC96-23C9-407A-AD8C-ABF7C947B8E5
Wetland name or number ______
Wetland Rating System for Western WA: 2014 Update 1
Rating Form – Effective January 1, 2015
Score for each function based on three ratings (order of ratings is not important)
9 = H,H,H
8 = H,H,M
7 = H,H,L
7 = H,M,M
6 = H,M,L
6 = M,M,M
5 = H,L,L
5 = M,M,L
4 = M,L,L
3 = L,L,L
RATING SUMMARY – Western Washington
Name of wetland (or ID #): _________________________________ Date of site visit: _____
Rated by____________________________ Trained by Ecology?__ Yes ___No Date of training______
HGM Class used for rating_________________ Wetland has multiple HGM classes?___Y ____N
NOTE: Form is not complete without the figures requested (figures can be combined).
Source of base aerial photo/map ______________________________________
OVERALL WETLAND CATEGORY ____ (based on functions___ or special characteristics___)
1. Category of wetland based on FUNCTIONS
_______Category I – Total score = 23 - 27
_______Category II – Total score = 20 - 22
_______Category III – Total score = 16 - 19
_______Category IV – Total score = 9 - 15
FUNCTION
Improving
Water Quality
Hydrologic
Habitat
Circle the appropriate ratings
Site Potential H M L H M L H M L
Landscape Potential H M L H M L H M L
Value H M L H M L H M L TOTAL
Score Based on
Ratings
2. Category based on SPECIAL CHARACTERISTICS of wetland
CHARACTERISTIC CATEGORY
Estuarine I II
Wetland of High Conservation Value I
Bog I
Mature Forest I
Old Growth Forest I
Coastal Lagoon I II
Interdunal I II III IV
None of the above
A
6 5 4 15
4
Wetland A 5/23/18
T. Amen, J. Rothwell 4 6/17
SLOPE 4
King County iMap
IV 4
4
DocuSign Envelope ID: AC93AC96-23C9-407A-AD8C-ABF7C947B8E5
Wetland name or number ______
Wetland Rating System for Western WA: 2014 Update 2
Rating Form – Effective January 1, 2015
Maps and figures required to answer questions correctly for
Western Washington
Depressional Wetlands
Map of: To answer questions: Figure #
Cowardin plant classes D 1.3, H 1.1, H 1.4
Hydroperiods D 1.4, H 1.2
Location of outlet (can be added to map of hydroperiods) D 1.1, D 4.1
Boundary of area within 150 ft of the wetland (can be added to another figure) D 2.2, D 5.2
Map of the contributing basin D 4.3, D 5.3
1 km Polygon: Area that extends 1 km from entire wetland edge - including
polygons for accessible habitat and undisturbed habitat
H 2.1, H 2.2, H 2.3
Screen capture of map of 303(d) listed waters in basin (from Ecology website) D 3.1, D 3.2
Screen capture of list of TMDLs for WRIA in which unit is found (from web) D 3.3
Riverine Wetlands
Map of: To answer questions: Figure #
Cowardin plant classes H 1.1, H 1.4
Hydroperiods H 1.2
Ponded depressions R 1.1
Boundary of area within 150 ft of the wetland (can be added to another figure) R 2.4
Plant cover of trees, shrubs, and herbaceous plants R 1.2, R 4.2
Width of unit vs. width of stream (can be added to another figure) R 4.1
Map of the contributing basin R 2.2, R 2.3, R 5.2
1 km Polygon: Area that extends 1 km from entire wetland edge - including
polygons for accessible habitat and undisturbed habitat
H 2.1, H 2.2, H 2.3
Screen capture of map of 303(d) listed waters in basin (from Ecology website) R 3.1
Screen capture of list of TMDLs for WRIA in which unit is found (from web) R 3.2, R 3.3
Lake Fringe Wetlands
Map of: To answer questions: Figure #
Cowardin plant classes L 1.1, L 4.1, H 1.1, H 1.4
Plant cover of trees, shrubs, and herbaceous plants L 1.2
Boundary of area within 150 ft of the wetland (can be added to another figure) L 2.2
1 km Polygon: Area that extends 1 km from entire wetland edge - including
polygons for accessible habitat and undisturbed habitat
H 2.1, H 2.2, H 2.3
Screen capture of map of 303(d) listed waters in basin (from Ecology website) L 3.1, L 3.2
Screen capture of list of TMDLs for WRIA in which unit is found (from web) L 3.3
Slope Wetlands
Map of: To answer questions: Figure #
Cowardin plant classes H 1.1, H 1.4
Hydroperiods H 1.2
Plant cover of dense trees, shrubs, and herbaceous plants S 1.3
Plant cover of dense, rigid trees, shrubs, and herbaceous plants
(can be added to figure above)
S 4.1
Boundary of 150 ft buffer (can be added to another figure) S 2.1, S 5.1
1 km Polygon: Area that extends 1 km from entire wetland edge - including
polygons for accessible habitat and undisturbed habitat
H 2.1, H 2.2, H 2.3
Screen capture of map of 303(d) listed waters in basin (from Ecology website) S 3.1, S 3.2
Screen capture of list of TMDLs for WRIA in which unit is found (from web) S 3.3
A
A1
A1
A1
A5
A1
A2
A3
A4
DocuSign Envelope ID: AC93AC96-23C9-407A-AD8C-ABF7C947B8E5
Wetland name or number ______
Wetland Rating System for Western WA: 2014 Update 3
Rating Form – Effective January 1, 2015
HGM Classification of Wetlands in Western Washington
1. Are the water levels in the entire unit usually controlled by tides except during floods?
NO – go to 2 YES – the wetland class is Tidal Fringe – go to 1.1
1.1 Is the salinity of the water during periods of annual low flow below 0.5 ppt (parts per thousand)?
NO – Saltwater Tidal Fringe (Estuarine) YES – Freshwater Tidal Fringe
If your wetland can be classified as a Freshwater Tidal Fringe use the forms for Riverine wetlands. If it
is Saltwater Tidal Fringe it is an Estuarine wetland and is not scored. This method cannot be used to
score functions for estuarine wetlands.
2. The entire wetland unit is flat and precipitation is the only source (>90%) of water to it. Groundwater
and surface water runoff are NOT sources of water to the unit.
NO – go to 3 YES – The wetland class is Flats
If your wetland can be classified as a Flats wetland, use the form for Depressional wetlands.
3. Does the entire wetland unit meet all of the following criteria?
___The vegetated part of the wetland is on the shores of a body of permanent open water (without any
plants on the surface at any time of the year) at least 20 ac (8 ha) in size;
___At least 30% of the open water area is deeper than 6.6 ft (2 m).
NO – go to 4 YES – The wetland class is Lake Fringe (Lacustrine Fringe)
4. Does the entire wetland unit meet all of the following criteria?
____The wetland is on a slope (slope can be very gradual),
____The water flows through the wetland in one direction (unidirectional) and usually comes from
seeps. It may flow subsurface, as sheetflow, or in a swale without distinct banks,
____The water leaves the wetland without being impounded.
NO – go to 5 YES – The wetland class is Slope
NOTE: Surface water does not pond in these type of wetlands except occasionally in very small and
shallow depressions or behind hummocks (depressions are usually <3 ft diameter and less than 1 ft
deep).
5. Does the entire wetland unit meet all of the following criteria?
____The unit is in a valley, or stream channel, where it gets inundated by overbank flooding from that
stream or river,
____The overbank flooding occurs at least once every 2 years.
For questions 1-7, the criteria described must apply to the entire unit being rated.
If the hydrologic criteria listed in each question do not apply to the entire unit being rated, you
probably have a unit with multiple HGM classes. In this case, identify which hydrologic criteria in
questions 1-7 apply, and go to Question 8.
A
4
4
4
DocuSign Envelope ID: AC93AC96-23C9-407A-AD8C-ABF7C947B8E5
Wetland name or number ______
Wetland Rating System for Western WA: 2014 Update 4
Rating Form – Effective January 1, 2015
NO – go to 6 YES – The wetland class is Riverine
NOTE: The Riverine unit can contain depressions that are filled with water when the river is not
flooding
6. Is the entire wetland unit in a topographic depression in which water ponds, or is saturated to the
surface, at some time during the year? This means that any outlet, if present, is higher than the interior
of the wetland.
NO – go to 7 YES – The wetland class is Depressional
7. Is the entire wetland unit located in a very flat area with no obvious depression and no overbank
flooding? The unit does not pond surface water more than a few inches. The unit seems to be
maintained by high groundwater in the area. The wetland may be ditched, but has no obvious natural
outlet.
NO – go to 8 YES – The wetland class is Depressional
8. Your wetland unit seems to be difficult to classify and probably contains several different HGM
classes. For example, seeps at the base of a slope may grade into a riverine floodplain, or a small
stream within a Depressional wetland has a zone of flooding along its sides. GO BACK AND IDENTIFY
WHICH OF THE HYDROLOGIC REGIMES DESCRIBED IN QUESTIONS 1-7 APPLY TO DIFFERENT
AREAS IN THE UNIT (make a rough sketch to help you decide). Use the following table to identify the
appropriate class to use for the rating system if you have several HGM classes present within the
wetland unit being scored.
NOTE: Use this table only if the class that is recommended in the second column represents 10% or
more of the total area of the wetland unit being rated. If the area of the HGM class listed in column 2
is less than 10% of the unit; classify the wetland using the class that represents more than 90% of the
total area.
HGM classes within the wetland unit
being rated
HGM class to
use in rating
Slope + Riverine Riverine
Slope + Depressional Depressional
Slope + Lake Fringe Lake Fringe
Depressional + Riverine along stream
within boundary of depression
Depressional
Depressional + Lake Fringe Depressional
Riverine + Lake Fringe Riverine
Salt Water Tidal Fringe and any other
class of freshwater wetland
Treat as
ESTUARINE
If you are still unable to determine which of the above criteria apply to your wetland, or if you have
more than 2 HGM classes within a wetland boundary, classify the wetland as Depressional for the
rating.
A
DocuSign Envelope ID: AC93AC96-23C9-407A-AD8C-ABF7C947B8E5
Wetland name or number ______
Wetland Rating System for Western WA: 2014 Update 11
Rating Form – Effective January 1, 2015
SLOPE WETLANDS
Water Quality Functions - Indicators that the site functions to improve water quality
S 1.0. Does the site have the potential to improve water quality?
S 1.1. Characteristics of the average slope of the wetland: (a 1% slope has a 1 ft vertical drop in elevation for every
100 ft of horizontal distance)
Slope is 1% or less points = 3
Slope is > 1%-2% points = 2
Slope is > 2%-5% points = 1
Slope is greater than 5% points = 0
S 1.2. The soil 2 in below the surface (or duff layer) is true clay or true organic (use NRCS definitions): Yes = 3 No = 0
S 1.3. Characteristics of the plants in the wetland that trap sediments and pollutants:
Choose the points appropriate for the description that best fits the plants in the wetland. Dense means you
have trouble seeing the soil surface (>75% cover), and uncut means not grazed or mowed and plants are higher
than 6 in.
Dense, uncut, herbaceous plants > 90% of the wetland area points = 6
Dense, uncut, herbaceous plants > ½ of area points = 3
Dense, woody, plants > ½ of area points = 2
Dense, uncut, herbaceous plants > ¼ of area points = 1
Does not meet any of the criteria above for plants points = 0
Total for S 1 Add the points in the boxes above
Rating of Site Potential If score is: 12 = H 6-11 = M 0-5 = L Record the rating on the first page
S 2.0. Does the landscape have the potential to support the water quality function of the site?
S 2.1. Is > 10% of the area within 150 ft on the uphill side of the wetland in land uses that generate pollutants?
Yes = 1 No = 0
S 2.2. Are there other sources of pollutants coming into the wetland that are not listed in question S 2.1?
Other sources ________________ Yes = 1 No = 0
Total for S 2 Add the points in the boxes above
Rating of Landscape Potential If score is: 1-2 = M 0 = L Record the rating on the first page
S 3.0. Is the water quality improvement provided by the site valuable to society?
S 3.1. Does the wetland discharge directly (i.e., within 1 mi) to a stream, river, lake, or marine water that is on the
303(d) list? Yes = 1 No = 0
S 3.2. Is the wetland in a basin or sub-basin where water quality is an issue? At least one aquatic resource in the basin is
on the 303(d) list. Yes = 1 No = 0
S 3.3. Has the site been identified in a watershed or local plan as important for maintaining water quality? Answer YES
if there is a TMDL for the basin in which unit is found. Yes = 2 No = 0
Total for S 3 Add the points in the boxes above
Rating of Value If score is: 2-4 = H 1 = M 0 = L Record the rating on the first page
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DocuSign Envelope ID: AC93AC96-23C9-407A-AD8C-ABF7C947B8E5
Wetland name or number ______
Wetland Rating System for Western WA: 2014 Update 12
Rating Form – Effective January 1, 2015
SLOPE WETLANDS
Hydrologic Functions - Indicators that the site functions to reduce flooding and stream erosion
S 4.0. Does the site have the potential to reduce flooding and stream erosion?
S 4.1. Characteristics of plants that reduce the velocity of surface flows during storms: Choose the points appropriate
for the description that best fits conditions in the wetland. Stems of plants should be thick enough (usually > 1/8
in), or dense enough, to remain erect during surface flows.
Dense, uncut, rigid plants cover > 90% of the area of the wetland points = 1
All other conditions points = 0
Rating of Site Potential If score is: 1 = M 0 = L Record the rating on the first page
S 5.0. Does the landscape have the potential to support the hydrologic functions of the site?
S 5.1. Is more than 25% of the area within 150 ft upslope of wetland in land uses or cover that generate excess
surface runoff? Yes = 1 No = 0
Rating of Landscape Potential If score is: 1 = M 0 = L Record the rating on the first page
S 6.0. Are the hydrologic functions provided by the site valuable to society?
S 6.1. Distance to the nearest areas downstream that have flooding problems:
The sub-basin immediately down-gradient of site has flooding problems that result in damage to human or
natural resources (e.g., houses or salmon redds) points = 2
Surface flooding problems are in a sub-basin farther down-gradient points = 1
No flooding problems anywhere downstream points = 0
S 6.2. Has the site been identified as important for flood storage or flood conveyance in a regional flood control plan?
Yes = 2 No = 0
Total for S 6 Add the points in the boxes above
Rating of Value If score is: 2-4 = H 1 = M 0 = L Record the rating on the first page
NOTES and FIELD OBSERVATIONS:
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Wetland name or number ______
Wetland Rating System for Western WA: 2014 Update 13
Rating Form – Effective January 1, 2015
These questions apply to wetlands of all HGM classes.
HABITAT FUNCTIONS - Indicators that site functions to provide important habitat
H 1.0. Does the site have the potential to provide habitat?
H 1.1. Structure of plant community: Indicators are Cowardin classes and strata within the Forested class. Check the
Cowardin plant classes in the wetland. Up to 10 patches may be combined for each class to meet the threshold
of ¼ ac or more than 10% of the unit if it is smaller than 2.5 ac. Add the number of structures checked.
____Aquatic bed 4 structures or more: points = 4
____Emergent 3 structures: points = 2
____Scrub-shrub (areas where shrubs have > 30% cover) 2 structures: points = 1
____Forested (areas where trees have > 30% cover) 1 structure: points = 0
If the unit has a Forested class, check if:
____The Forested class has 3 out of 5 strata (canopy, sub-canopy, shrubs, herbaceous, moss/ground-cover)
that each cover 20% within the Forested polygon
H 1.2. Hydroperiods
Check the types of water regimes (hydroperiods) present within the wetland. The water regime has to cover
more than 10% of the wetland or ¼ ac to count (see text for descriptions of hydroperiods).
____Permanently flooded or inundated 4 or more types present: points = 3
____Seasonally flooded or inundated 3 types present: points = 2
____Occasionally flooded or inundated 2 types present: points = 1
____Saturated only 1 type present: points = 0
____Permanently flowing stream or river in, or adjacent to, the wetland
____Seasonally flowing stream in, or adjacent to, the wetland
____Lake Fringe wetland 2 points
____Freshwater tidal wetland 2 points
H 1.3. Richness of plant species
Count the number of plant species in the wetland that cover at least 10 ft2.
Different patches of the same species can be combined to meet the size threshold and you do not have to name
the species. Do not include Eurasian milfoil, reed canarygrass, purple loosestrife, Canadian thistle
If you counted: > 19 species points = 2
5 - 19 species points = 1
< 5 species points = 0
H 1.4. Interspersion of habitats
Decide from the diagrams below whether interspersion among Cowardin plants classes (described in H 1.1), or
the classes and unvegetated areas (can include open water or mudflats) is high, moderate, low, or none. If you
have four or more plant classes or three classes and open water, the rating is always high.
None = 0 points Low = 1 point Moderate = 2 points
All three diagrams
in this row
are HIGH = 3points
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Wetland name or number ______
Wetland Rating System for Western WA: 2014 Update 14
Rating Form – Effective January 1, 2015
H 1.5. Special habitat features:
Check the habitat features that are present in the wetland. The number of checks is the number of points.
____Large, downed, woody debris within the wetland (> 4 in diameter and 6 ft long).
____Standing snags (dbh > 4 in) within the wetland
____Undercut banks are present for at least 6.6 ft (2 m) and/or overhanging plants extends at least 3.3 ft (1 m)
over a stream (or ditch) in, or contiguous with the wetland, for at least 33 ft (10 m)
____Stable steep banks of fine material that might be used by beaver or muskrat for denning (> 30 degree
slope) OR signs of recent beaver activity are present (cut shrubs or trees that have not yet weathered
where wood is exposed)
____At least ¼ ac of thin-stemmed persistent plants or woody branches are present in areas that are
permanently or seasonally inundated (structures for egg-laying by amphibians)
____Invasive plants cover less than 25% of the wetland area in every stratum of plants (see H 1.1 for list of
strata)
Total for H 1 Add the points in the boxes above
Rating of Site Potential If score is: 15-18 = H 7-14 = M 0-6 = L Record the rating on the first page
H 2.0. Does the landscape have the potential to support the habitat functions of the site?
H 2.1. Accessible habitat (include only habitat that directly abuts wetland unit).
Calculate: % undisturbed habitat + [(% moderate and low intensity land uses)/2] = _______%
If total accessible habitat is:
> 1/3 (33.3%) of 1 km Polygon points = 3
20-33% of 1 km Polygon points = 2
10-19% of 1 km Polygon points = 1
< 10% of 1 km Polygon points = 0
H 2.2. Undisturbed habitat in 1 km Polygon around the wetland.
Calculate: % undisturbed habitat + [(% moderate and low intensity land uses)/2] = _______%
Undisturbed habitat > 50% of Polygon points = 3
Undisturbed habitat 10-50% and in 1-3 patches points = 2
Undisturbed habitat 10-50% and > 3 patches points = 1
Undisturbed habitat < 10% of 1 km Polygon points = 0
H 2.3. Land use intensity in 1 km Polygon: If
> 50% of 1 km Polygon is high intensity land use points = (- 2)
≤ 50% of 1 km Polygon is high intensity points = 0
Total for H 2 Add the points in the boxes above
Rating of Landscape Potential If score is: 4-6 = H 1-3 = M < 1 = L Record the rating on the first page
H 3.0. Is the habitat provided by the site valuable to society?
H 3.1. Does the site provide habitat for species valued in laws, regulations, or policies? Choose only the highest score
that applies to the wetland being rated.
Site meets ANY of the following criteria: points = 2
It has 3 or more priority habitats within 100 m (see next page)
It provides habitat for Threatened or Endangered species (any plant or animal on the state or federal lists)
It is mapped as a location for an individual WDFW priority species
It is a Wetland of High Conservation Value as determined by the Department of Natural Resources
It has been categorized as an important habitat site in a local or regional comprehensive plan, in a
Shoreline Master Plan, or in a watershed plan
Site has 1 or 2 priority habitats (listed on next page) within 100 m points = 1
Site does not meet any of the criteria above points = 0
Rating of Value If score is: 2 = H 1 = M 0 = L Record the rating on the first page
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Wetland name or number ______
Wetland Rating System for Western WA: 2014 Update 15
Rating Form – Effective January 1, 2015
WDFW Priority Habitats
Priority habitats listed by WDFW (see complete descriptions of WDFW priority habitats, and the counties in which they can
be found, in: Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. 2008. Priority Habitat and Species List. Olympia, Washington.
177 pp. http://wdfw.wa.gov/publications/00165/wdfw00165.pdf or access the list from here:
http://wdfw.wa.gov/conservation/phs/list/)
Count how many of the following priority habitats are within 330 ft (100 m) of the wetland unit: NOTE: This question is
independent of the land use between the wetland unit and the priority habitat.
Aspen Stands: Pure or mixed stands of aspen greater than 1 ac (0.4 ha).
Biodiversity Areas and Corridors: Areas of habitat that are relatively important to various species of native fish and
wildlife (full descriptions in WDFW PHS report).
Herbaceous Balds: Variable size patches of grass and forbs on shallow soils over bedrock.
Old-growth/Mature forests: Old-growth west of Cascade crest – Stands of at least 2 tree species, forming a multi-
layered canopy with occasional small openings; with at least 8 trees/ac (20 trees/ha ) > 32 in (81 cm) dbh or > 200
years of age. Mature forests – Stands with average diameters exceeding 21 in (53 cm) dbh; crown cover may be less
than 100%; decay, decadence, numbers of snags, and quantity of large downed material is generally less than that
found in old-growth; 80-200 years old west of the Cascade crest.
Oregon White Oak: Woodland stands of pure oak or oak/conifer associations where canopy coverage of the oak
component is important (full descriptions in WDFW PHS report p. 158 – see web link above).
Riparian: The area adjacent to aquatic systems with flowing water that contains elements of both aquatic and
terrestrial ecosystems which mutually influence each other.
Westside Prairies: Herbaceous, non-forested plant communities that can either take the form of a dry prairie or a wet
prairie (full descriptions in WDFW PHS report p. 161 – see web link above).
Instream: The combination of physical, biological, and chemical processes and conditions that interact to provide
functional life history requirements for instream fish and wildlife resources.
Nearshore: Relatively undisturbed nearshore habitats. These include Coastal Nearshore, Open Coast Nearshore, and
Puget Sound Nearshore. (full descriptions of habitats and the definition of relatively undisturbed are in WDFW report –
see web link on previous page).
Caves: A naturally occurring cavity, recess, void, or system of interconnected passages under the earth in soils, rock,
ice, or other geological formations and is large enough to contain a human.
Cliffs: Greater than 25 ft (7.6 m) high and occurring below 5000 ft elevation.
Talus: Homogenous areas of rock rubble ranging in average size 0.5 - 6.5 ft (0.15 - 2.0 m), composed of basalt, andesite,
and/or sedimentary rock, including riprap slides and mine tailings. May be associated with cliffs.
Snags and Logs: Trees are considered snags if they are dead or dying and exhibit sufficient decay characteristics to
enable cavity excavation/use by wildlife. Priority snags have a diameter at breast height of > 20 in (51 cm) in western
Washington and are > 6.5 ft (2 m) in height. Priority logs are > 12 in (30 cm) in diameter at the largest end, and > 20 ft
(6 m) long.
Note: All vegetated wetlands are by definition a priority habitat but are not included in this list because they are addressed
elsewhere.
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Wetland Rating System for Western WA: 2014 Update 16
Rating Form – Effective January 1, 2015
CATEGORIZATION BASED ON SPECIAL CHARACTERISTICS
Wetland Type
Check off any criteria that apply to the wetland. Circle the category when the appropriate criteria are met.
Category
SC 1.0. Estuarine wetlands
Does the wetland meet the following criteria for Estuarine wetlands?
The dominant water regime is tidal,
Vegetated, and
With a salinity greater than 0.5 ppt Yes –Go to SC 1.1 No= Not an estuarine wetland
SC 1.1. Is the wetland within a National Wildlife Refuge, National Park, National Estuary Reserve, Natural Area
Preserve, State Park or Educational, Environmental, or Scientific Reserve designated under WAC 332-30-151?
Yes = Category I No - Go to SC 1.2
Cat. I
SC 1.2. Is the wetland unit at least 1 ac in size and meets at least two of the following three conditions?
The wetland is relatively undisturbed (has no diking, ditching, filling, cultivation, grazing, and has less
than 10% cover of non-native plant species. (If non-native species are Spartina, see page 25)
At least ¾ of the landward edge of the wetland has a 100 ft buffer of shrub, forest, or un-grazed or un-
mowed grassland.
The wetland has at least two of the following features: tidal channels, depressions with open water, or
contiguous freshwater wetlands. Yes = Category I No = Category II
Cat. I
Cat. II
SC 2.0. Wetlands of High Conservation Value (WHCV)
SC 2.1. Has the WA Department of Natural Resources updated their website to include the list of Wetlands of High
Conservation Value? Yes – Go to SC 2.2 No – Go to SC 2.3
SC 2.2. Is the wetland listed on the WDNR database as a Wetland of High Conservation Value?
Yes = Category I No = Not a WHCV
SC 2.3. Is the wetland in a Section/Township/Range that contains a Natural Heritage wetland?
http://www1.dnr.wa.gov/nhp/refdesk/datasearch/wnhpwetlands.pdf
Yes – Contact WNHP/WDNR and go to SC 2.4 No = Not a WHCV
SC 2.4. Has WDNR identified the wetland within the S/T/R as a Wetland of High Conservation Value and listed it on
their website? Yes = Category I No = Not a WHCV
Cat. I
SC 3.0. Bogs
Does the wetland (or any part of the unit) meet both the criteria for soils and vegetation in bogs? Use the key
below. If you answer YES you will still need to rate the wetland based on its functions.
SC 3.1. Does an area within the wetland unit have organic soil horizons, either peats or mucks, that compose 16 in or
more of the first 32 in of the soil profile? Yes – Go to SC 3.3 No – Go to SC 3.2
SC 3.2. Does an area within the wetland unit have organic soils, either peats or mucks, that are less than 16 in deep
over bedrock, or an impermeable hardpan such as clay or volcanic ash, or that are floating on top of a lake or
pond? Yes – Go to SC 3.3 No = Is not a bog
SC 3.3. Does an area with peats or mucks have more than 70% cover of mosses at ground level, AND at least a 30%
cover of plant species listed in Table 4? Yes = Is a Category I bog No – Go to SC 3.4
NOTE: If you are uncertain about the extent of mosses in the understory, you may substitute that criterion by
measuring the pH of the water that seeps into a hole dug at least 16 in deep. If the pH is less than 5.0 and the
plant species in Table 4 are present, the wetland is a bog.
SC 3.4. Is an area with peats or mucks forested (> 30% cover) with Sitka spruce, subalpine fir, western red cedar,
western hemlock, lodgepole pine, quaking aspen, Engelmann spruce, or western white pine, AND any of the
species (or combination of species) listed in Table 4 provide more than 30% of the cover under the canopy?
Yes = Is a Category I bog No = Is not a bog
Cat. I
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DocuSign Envelope ID: AC93AC96-23C9-407A-AD8C-ABF7C947B8E5
Wetland name or number ______
Wetland Rating System for Western WA: 2014 Update 17
Rating Form – Effective January 1, 2015
SC 4.0. Forested Wetlands
Does the wetland have at least 1 contiguous acre of forest that meets one of these criteria for the WA
Department of Fish and Wildlife’s forests as priority habitats? If you answer YES you will still need to rate
the wetland based on its functions.
Old-growth forests (west of Cascade crest): Stands of at least two tree species, forming a multi-layered
canopy with occasional small openings; with at least 8 trees/ac (20 trees/ha) that are at least 200 years of
age OR have a diameter at breast height (dbh) of 32 in (81 cm) or more.
Mature forests (west of the Cascade Crest): Stands where the largest trees are 80- 200 years old OR the
species that make up the canopy have an average diameter (dbh) exceeding 21 in (53 cm).
Yes = Category I No = Not a forested wetland for this section
Cat. I
SC 5.0. Wetlands in Coastal Lagoons
Does the wetland meet all of the following criteria of a wetland in a coastal lagoon?
The wetland lies in a depression adjacent to marine waters that is wholly or partially separated from
marine waters by sandbanks, gravel banks, shingle, or, less frequently, rocks
The lagoon in which the wetland is located contains ponded water that is saline or brackish (> 0.5 ppt)
during most of the year in at least a portion of the lagoon (needs to be measured near the bottom)
Yes – Go to SC 5.1 No = Not a wetland in a coastal lagoon
SC 5.1. Does the wetland meet all of the following three conditions?
The wetland is relatively undisturbed (has no diking, ditching, filling, cultivation, grazing), and has less
than 20% cover of aggressive, opportunistic plant species (see list of species on p. 100).
At least ¾ of the landward edge of the wetland has a 100 ft buffer of shrub, forest, or un-grazed or un-
mowed grassland.
The wetland is larger than 1/10 ac (4350 ft2)
Yes = Category I No = Category II
Cat. I
Cat. II
SC 6.0. Interdunal Wetlands
Is the wetland west of the 1889 line (also called the Western Boundary of Upland Ownership or WBUO)? If
you answer yes you will still need to rate the wetland based on its habitat functions.
In practical terms that means the following geographic areas:
Long Beach Peninsula: Lands west of SR 103
Grayland-Westport: Lands west of SR 105
Ocean Shores-Copalis: Lands west of SR 115 and SR 109
Yes – Go to SC 6.1 No = not an interdunal wetland for rating
SC 6.1. Is the wetland 1 ac or larger and scores an 8 or 9 for the habitat functions on the form (rates H,H,H or H,H,M
for the three aspects of function)? Yes = Category I No – Go to SC 6.2
SC 6.2. Is the wetland 1 ac or larger, or is it in a mosaic of wetlands that is 1 ac or larger?
Yes = Category II No – Go to SC 6.3
SC 6.3. Is the unit between 0.1 and 1 ac, or is it in a mosaic of wetlands that is between 0.1 and 1 ac?
Yes = Category III No = Category IV
Cat I
Cat. II
Cat. III
Cat. IV
Category of wetland based on Special Characteristics
If you answered No for all types, enter “Not Applicable” on Summary Form
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Wetland Rating System for Western WA: 2014 Update 18
Rating Form – Effective January 1, 2015
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Wetland name or number ______
Wetland Rating System for Western WA: 2014 Update 1
Rating Form – Effective January 1, 2015
Score for each function based on three ratings (order of ratings is not important)
9 = H,H,H
8 = H,H,M
7 = H,H,L
7 = H,M,M
6 = H,M,L
6 = M,M,M
5 = H,L,L
5 = M,M,L
4 = M,L,L
3 = L,L,L
RATING SUMMARY – Western Washington
Name of wetland (or ID #): _________________________________ Date of site visit: _____
Rated by____________________________ Trained by Ecology?__ Yes ___No Date of training______
HGM Class used for rating_________________ Wetland has multiple HGM classes?___Y ____N
NOTE: Form is not complete without the figures requested (figures can be combined).
Source of base aerial photo/map ______________________________________
OVERALL WETLAND CATEGORY ____ (based on functions___ or special characteristics___)
1. Category of wetland based on FUNCTIONS
_______Category I – Total score = 23 - 27
_______Category II – Total score = 20 - 22
_______Category III – Total score = 16 - 19
_______Category IV – Total score = 9 - 15
FUNCTION
Improving
Water Quality
Hydrologic
Habitat
Circle the appropriate ratings
Site Potential H M L H M L H M L
Landscape Potential H M L H M L H M L
Value H M L H M L H M L TOTAL
Score Based on
Ratings
2. Category based on SPECIAL CHARACTERISTICS of wetland
CHARACTERISTIC CATEGORY
Estuarine I II
Wetland of High Conservation Value I
Bog I
Mature Forest I
Old Growth Forest I
Coastal Lagoon I II
Interdunal I II III IV
None of the above
B
6 3 4 13
4
Blue Fern - Wetland B 5/23/18
Jim Rothwell 4 3/2015
SLOPE 4
ESRI
IV 4
4
DocuSign Envelope ID: AC93AC96-23C9-407A-AD8C-ABF7C947B8E5
Wetland name or number ______
Wetland Rating System for Western WA: 2014 Update 2
Rating Form – Effective January 1, 2015
Maps and figures required to answer questions correctly for
Western Washington
Depressional Wetlands
Map of: To answer questions: Figure #
Cowardin plant classes D 1.3, H 1.1, H 1.4
Hydroperiods D 1.4, H 1.2
Location of outlet (can be added to map of hydroperiods) D 1.1, D 4.1
Boundary of area within 150 ft of the wetland (can be added to another figure) D 2.2, D 5.2
Map of the contributing basin D 4.3, D 5.3
1 km Polygon: Area that extends 1 km from entire wetland edge - including
polygons for accessible habitat and undisturbed habitat
H 2.1, H 2.2, H 2.3
Screen capture of map of 303(d) listed waters in basin (from Ecology website) D 3.1, D 3.2
Screen capture of list of TMDLs for WRIA in which unit is found (from web) D 3.3
Riverine Wetlands
Map of: To answer questions: Figure #
Cowardin plant classes H 1.1, H 1.4
Hydroperiods H 1.2
Ponded depressions R 1.1
Boundary of area within 150 ft of the wetland (can be added to another figure) R 2.4
Plant cover of trees, shrubs, and herbaceous plants R 1.2, R 4.2
Width of unit vs. width of stream (can be added to another figure) R 4.1
Map of the contributing basin R 2.2, R 2.3, R 5.2
1 km Polygon: Area that extends 1 km from entire wetland edge - including
polygons for accessible habitat and undisturbed habitat
H 2.1, H 2.2, H 2.3
Screen capture of map of 303(d) listed waters in basin (from Ecology website) R 3.1
Screen capture of list of TMDLs for WRIA in which unit is found (from web) R 3.2, R 3.3
Lake Fringe Wetlands
Map of: To answer questions: Figure #
Cowardin plant classes L 1.1, L 4.1, H 1.1, H 1.4
Plant cover of trees, shrubs, and herbaceous plants L 1.2
Boundary of area within 150 ft of the wetland (can be added to another figure) L 2.2
1 km Polygon: Area that extends 1 km from entire wetland edge - including
polygons for accessible habitat and undisturbed habitat
H 2.1, H 2.2, H 2.3
Screen capture of map of 303(d) listed waters in basin (from Ecology website) L 3.1, L 3.2
Screen capture of list of TMDLs for WRIA in which unit is found (from web) L 3.3
Slope Wetlands
Map of: To answer questions: Figure #
Cowardin plant classes H 1.1, H 1.4
Hydroperiods H 1.2
Plant cover of dense trees, shrubs, and herbaceous plants S 1.3
Plant cover of dense, rigid trees, shrubs, and herbaceous plants
(can be added to figure above)
S 4.1
Boundary of 150 ft buffer (can be added to another figure) S 2.1, S 5.1
1 km Polygon: Area that extends 1 km from entire wetland edge - including
polygons for accessible habitat and undisturbed habitat
H 2.1, H 2.2, H 2.3
Screen capture of map of 303(d) listed waters in basin (from Ecology website) S 3.1, S 3.2
Screen capture of list of TMDLs for WRIA in which unit is found (from web) S 3.3
B
DocuSign Envelope ID: AC93AC96-23C9-407A-AD8C-ABF7C947B8E5
Wetland name or number ______
Wetland Rating System for Western WA: 2014 Update 3
Rating Form – Effective January 1, 2015
HGM Classification of Wetlands in Western Washington
1. Are the water levels in the entire unit usually controlled by tides except during floods?
NO – go to 2 YES – the wetland class is Tidal Fringe – go to 1.1
1.1 Is the salinity of the water during periods of annual low flow below 0.5 ppt (parts per thousand)?
NO – Saltwater Tidal Fringe (Estuarine) YES – Freshwater Tidal Fringe
If your wetland can be classified as a Freshwater Tidal Fringe use the forms for Riverine wetlands. If it
is Saltwater Tidal Fringe it is an Estuarine wetland and is not scored. This method cannot be used to
score functions for estuarine wetlands.
2. The entire wetland unit is flat and precipitation is the only source (>90%) of water to it. Groundwater
and surface water runoff are NOT sources of water to the unit.
NO – go to 3 YES – The wetland class is Flats
If your wetland can be classified as a Flats wetland, use the form for Depressional wetlands.
3. Does the entire wetland unit meet all of the following criteria?
___The vegetated part of the wetland is on the shores of a body of permanent open water (without any
plants on the surface at any time of the year) at least 20 ac (8 ha) in size;
___At least 30% of the open water area is deeper than 6.6 ft (2 m).
NO – go to 4 YES – The wetland class is Lake Fringe (Lacustrine Fringe)
4. Does the entire wetland unit meet all of the following criteria?
____The wetland is on a slope (slope can be very gradual),
____The water flows through the wetland in one direction (unidirectional) and usually comes from
seeps. It may flow subsurface, as sheetflow, or in a swale without distinct banks,
____The water leaves the wetland without being impounded.
NO – go to 5 YES – The wetland class is Slope
NOTE: Surface water does not pond in these type of wetlands except occasionally in very small and
shallow depressions or behind hummocks (depressions are usually <3 ft diameter and less than 1 ft
deep).
5. Does the entire wetland unit meet all of the following criteria?
____The unit is in a valley, or stream channel, where it gets inundated by overbank flooding from that
stream or river,
____The overbank flooding occurs at least once every 2 years.
For questions 1-7, the criteria described must apply to the entire unit being rated.
If the hydrologic criteria listed in each question do not apply to the entire unit being rated, you
probably have a unit with multiple HGM classes. In this case, identify which hydrologic criteria in
questions 1-7 apply, and go to Question 8.
B
4
4
4
DocuSign Envelope ID: AC93AC96-23C9-407A-AD8C-ABF7C947B8E5
Wetland name or number ______
Wetland Rating System for Western WA: 2014 Update 4
Rating Form – Effective January 1, 2015
NO – go to 6 YES – The wetland class is Riverine
NOTE: The Riverine unit can contain depressions that are filled with water when the river is not
flooding
6. Is the entire wetland unit in a topographic depression in which water ponds, or is saturated to the
surface, at some time during the year? This means that any outlet, if present, is higher than the interior
of the wetland.
NO – go to 7 YES – The wetland class is Depressional
7. Is the entire wetland unit located in a very flat area with no obvious depression and no overbank
flooding? The unit does not pond surface water more than a few inches. The unit seems to be
maintained by high groundwater in the area. The wetland may be ditched, but has no obvious natural
outlet.
NO – go to 8 YES – The wetland class is Depressional
8. Your wetland unit seems to be difficult to classify and probably contains several different HGM
classes. For example, seeps at the base of a slope may grade into a riverine floodplain, or a small
stream within a Depressional wetland has a zone of flooding along its sides. GO BACK AND IDENTIFY
WHICH OF THE HYDROLOGIC REGIMES DESCRIBED IN QUESTIONS 1-7 APPLY TO DIFFERENT
AREAS IN THE UNIT (make a rough sketch to help you decide). Use the following table to identify the
appropriate class to use for the rating system if you have several HGM classes present within the
wetland unit being scored.
NOTE: Use this table only if the class that is recommended in the second column represents 10% or
more of the total area of the wetland unit being rated. If the area of the HGM class listed in column 2
is less than 10% of the unit; classify the wetland using the class that represents more than 90% of the
total area.
HGM classes within the wetland unit
being rated
HGM class to
use in rating
Slope + Riverine Riverine
Slope + Depressional Depressional
Slope + Lake Fringe Lake Fringe
Depressional + Riverine along stream
within boundary of depression
Depressional
Depressional + Lake Fringe Depressional
Riverine + Lake Fringe Riverine
Salt Water Tidal Fringe and any other
class of freshwater wetland
Treat as
ESTUARINE
If you are still unable to determine which of the above criteria apply to your wetland, or if you have
more than 2 HGM classes within a wetland boundary, classify the wetland as Depressional for the
rating.
B
DocuSign Envelope ID: AC93AC96-23C9-407A-AD8C-ABF7C947B8E5
Wetland name or number ______
Wetland Rating System for Western WA: 2014 Update 11
Rating Form – Effective January 1, 2015
SLOPE WETLANDS
Water Quality Functions - Indicators that the site functions to improve water quality
S 1.0. Does the site have the potential to improve water quality?
S 1.1. Characteristics of the average slope of the wetland: (a 1% slope has a 1 ft vertical drop in elevation for every
100 ft of horizontal distance)
Slope is 1% or less points = 3
Slope is > 1%-2% points = 2
Slope is > 2%-5% points = 1
Slope is greater than 5% points = 0
S 1.2. The soil 2 in below the surface (or duff layer) is true clay or true organic (use NRCS definitions): Yes = 3 No = 0
S 1.3. Characteristics of the plants in the wetland that trap sediments and pollutants:
Choose the points appropriate for the description that best fits the plants in the wetland. Dense means you
have trouble seeing the soil surface (>75% cover), and uncut means not grazed or mowed and plants are higher
than 6 in.
Dense, uncut, herbaceous plants > 90% of the wetland area points = 6
Dense, uncut, herbaceous plants > ½ of area points = 3
Dense, woody, plants > ½ of area points = 2
Dense, uncut, herbaceous plants > ¼ of area points = 1
Does not meet any of the criteria above for plants points = 0
Total for S 1 Add the points in the boxes above
Rating of Site Potential If score is: 12 = H 6-11 = M 0-5 = L Record the rating on the first page
S 2.0. Does the landscape have the potential to support the water quality function of the site?
S 2.1. Is > 10% of the area within 150 ft on the uphill side of the wetland in land uses that generate pollutants?
Yes = 1 No = 0
S 2.2. Are there other sources of pollutants coming into the wetland that are not listed in question S 2.1?
Other sources ________________ Yes = 1 No = 0
Total for S 2 Add the points in the boxes above
Rating of Landscape Potential If score is: 1-2 = M 0 = L Record the rating on the first page
S 3.0. Is the water quality improvement provided by the site valuable to society?
S 3.1. Does the wetland discharge directly (i.e., within 1 mi) to a stream, river, lake, or marine water that is on the
303(d) list? Yes = 1 No = 0
S 3.2. Is the wetland in a basin or sub-basin where water quality is an issue? At least one aquatic resource in the basin is
on the 303(d) list. Yes = 1 No = 0
S 3.3. Has the site been identified in a watershed or local plan as important for maintaining water quality? Answer YES
if there is a TMDL for the basin in which unit is found. Yes = 2 No = 0
Total for S 3 Add the points in the boxes above
Rating of Value If score is: 2-4 = H 1 = M 0 = L Record the rating on the first page
B
4
1
0
4
2
3
4
0
1
0
1
4
1
2
3
4
DocuSign Envelope ID: AC93AC96-23C9-407A-AD8C-ABF7C947B8E5
Wetland name or number ______
Wetland Rating System for Western WA: 2014 Update 12
Rating Form – Effective January 1, 2015
SLOPE WETLANDS
Hydrologic Functions - Indicators that the site functions to reduce flooding and stream erosion
S 4.0. Does the site have the potential to reduce flooding and stream erosion?
S 4.1. Characteristics of plants that reduce the velocity of surface flows during storms: Choose the points appropriate
for the description that best fits conditions in the wetland. Stems of plants should be thick enough (usually > 1/8
in), or dense enough, to remain erect during surface flows.
Dense, uncut, rigid plants cover > 90% of the area of the wetland points = 1
All other conditions points = 0
Rating of Site Potential If score is: 1 = M 0 = L Record the rating on the first page
S 5.0. Does the landscape have the potential to support the hydrologic functions of the site?
S 5.1. Is more than 25% of the area within 150 ft upslope of wetland in land uses or cover that generate excess
surface runoff? Yes = 1 No = 0
Rating of Landscape Potential If score is: 1 = M 0 = L Record the rating on the first page
S 6.0. Are the hydrologic functions provided by the site valuable to society?
S 6.1. Distance to the nearest areas downstream that have flooding problems:
The sub-basin immediately down-gradient of site has flooding problems that result in damage to human or
natural resources (e.g., houses or salmon redds) points = 2
Surface flooding problems are in a sub-basin farther down-gradient points = 1
No flooding problems anywhere downstream points = 0
S 6.2. Has the site been identified as important for flood storage or flood conveyance in a regional flood control plan?
Yes = 2 No = 0
Total for S 6 Add the points in the boxes above
Rating of Value If score is: 2-4 = H 1 = M 0 = L Record the rating on the first page
NOTES and FIELD OBSERVATIONS:
B
4
0
4
4
0
4
0
0
4
0
DocuSign Envelope ID: AC93AC96-23C9-407A-AD8C-ABF7C947B8E5
Wetland name or number ______
Wetland Rating System for Western WA: 2014 Update 13
Rating Form – Effective January 1, 2015
These questions apply to wetlands of all HGM classes.
HABITAT FUNCTIONS - Indicators that site functions to provide important habitat
H 1.0. Does the site have the potential to provide habitat?
H 1.1. Structure of plant community: Indicators are Cowardin classes and strata within the Forested class. Check the
Cowardin plant classes in the wetland. Up to 10 patches may be combined for each class to meet the threshold
of ¼ ac or more than 10% of the unit if it is smaller than 2.5 ac. Add the number of structures checked.
____Aquatic bed 4 structures or more: points = 4
____Emergent 3 structures: points = 2
____Scrub-shrub (areas where shrubs have > 30% cover) 2 structures: points = 1
____Forested (areas where trees have > 30% cover) 1 structure: points = 0
If the unit has a Forested class, check if:
____The Forested class has 3 out of 5 strata (canopy, sub-canopy, shrubs, herbaceous, moss/ground-cover)
that each cover 20% within the Forested polygon
H 1.2. Hydroperiods
Check the types of water regimes (hydroperiods) present within the wetland. The water regime has to cover
more than 10% of the wetland or ¼ ac to count (see text for descriptions of hydroperiods).
____Permanently flooded or inundated 4 or more types present: points = 3
____Seasonally flooded or inundated 3 types present: points = 2
____Occasionally flooded or inundated 2 types present: points = 1
____Saturated only 1 type present: points = 0
____Permanently flowing stream or river in, or adjacent to, the wetland
____Seasonally flowing stream in, or adjacent to, the wetland
____Lake Fringe wetland 2 points
____Freshwater tidal wetland 2 points
H 1.3. Richness of plant species
Count the number of plant species in the wetland that cover at least 10 ft2.
Different patches of the same species can be combined to meet the size threshold and you do not have to name
the species. Do not include Eurasian milfoil, reed canarygrass, purple loosestrife, Canadian thistle
If you counted: > 19 species points = 2
5 - 19 species points = 1
< 5 species points = 0
H 1.4. Interspersion of habitats
Decide from the diagrams below whether interspersion among Cowardin plants classes (described in H 1.1), or
the classes and unvegetated areas (can include open water or mudflats) is high, moderate, low, or none. If you
have four or more plant classes or three classes and open water, the rating is always high.
None = 0 points Low = 1 point Moderate = 2 points
All three diagrams
in this row
are HIGH = 3points
B
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4
1
0
4
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DocuSign Envelope ID: AC93AC96-23C9-407A-AD8C-ABF7C947B8E5
Wetland name or number ______
Wetland Rating System for Western WA: 2014 Update 14
Rating Form – Effective January 1, 2015
H 1.5. Special habitat features:
Check the habitat features that are present in the wetland. The number of checks is the number of points.
____Large, downed, woody debris within the wetland (> 4 in diameter and 6 ft long).
____Standing snags (dbh > 4 in) within the wetland
____Undercut banks are present for at least 6.6 ft (2 m) and/or overhanging plants extends at least 3.3 ft (1 m)
over a stream (or ditch) in, or contiguous with the wetland, for at least 33 ft (10 m)
____Stable steep banks of fine material that might be used by beaver or muskrat for denning (> 30 degree
slope) OR signs of recent beaver activity are present (cut shrubs or trees that have not yet weathered
where wood is exposed)
____At least ¼ ac of thin-stemmed persistent plants or woody branches are present in areas that are
permanently or seasonally inundated (structures for egg-laying by amphibians)
____Invasive plants cover less than 25% of the wetland area in every stratum of plants (see H 1.1 for list of
strata)
Total for H 1 Add the points in the boxes above
Rating of Site Potential If score is: 15-18 = H 7-14 = M 0-6 = L Record the rating on the first page
H 2.0. Does the landscape have the potential to support the habitat functions of the site?
H 2.1. Accessible habitat (include only habitat that directly abuts wetland unit).
Calculate: % undisturbed habitat + [(% moderate and low intensity land uses)/2] = _______%
If total accessible habitat is:
> 1/3 (33.3%) of 1 km Polygon points = 3
20-33% of 1 km Polygon points = 2
10-19% of 1 km Polygon points = 1
< 10% of 1 km Polygon points = 0
H 2.2. Undisturbed habitat in 1 km Polygon around the wetland.
Calculate: % undisturbed habitat + [(% moderate and low intensity land uses)/2] = _______%
Undisturbed habitat > 50% of Polygon points = 3
Undisturbed habitat 10-50% and in 1-3 patches points = 2
Undisturbed habitat 10-50% and > 3 patches points = 1
Undisturbed habitat < 10% of 1 km Polygon points = 0
H 2.3. Land use intensity in 1 km Polygon: If
> 50% of 1 km Polygon is high intensity land use points = (- 2)
≤ 50% of 1 km Polygon is high intensity points = 0
Total for H 2 Add the points in the boxes above
Rating of Landscape Potential If score is: 4-6 = H 1-3 = M < 1 = L Record the rating on the first page
H 3.0. Is the habitat provided by the site valuable to society?
H 3.1. Does the site provide habitat for species valued in laws, regulations, or policies? Choose only the highest score
that applies to the wetland being rated.
Site meets ANY of the following criteria: points = 2
It has 3 or more priority habitats within 100 m (see next page)
It provides habitat for Threatened or Endangered species (any plant or animal on the state or federal lists)
It is mapped as a location for an individual WDFW priority species
It is a Wetland of High Conservation Value as determined by the Department of Natural Resources
It has been categorized as an important habitat site in a local or regional comprehensive plan, in a
Shoreline Master Plan, or in a watershed plan
Site has 1 or 2 priority habitats (listed on next page) within 100 m points = 1
Site does not meet any of the criteria above points = 0
Rating of Value If score is: 2 = H 1 = M 0 = L Record the rating on the first page
B
3
1
4
4
4 3 7
0
4
14 6 20
1
4
4 -2
-1
4
1
4
4
DocuSign Envelope ID: AC93AC96-23C9-407A-AD8C-ABF7C947B8E5
Wetland name or number ______
Wetland Rating System for Western WA: 2014 Update 15
Rating Form – Effective January 1, 2015
WDFW Priority Habitats
Priority habitats listed by WDFW (see complete descriptions of WDFW priority habitats, and the counties in which they can
be found, in: Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. 2008. Priority Habitat and Species List. Olympia, Washington.
177 pp. http://wdfw.wa.gov/publications/00165/wdfw00165.pdf or access the list from here:
http://wdfw.wa.gov/conservation/phs/list/)
Count how many of the following priority habitats are within 330 ft (100 m) of the wetland unit: NOTE: This question is
independent of the land use between the wetland unit and the priority habitat.
Aspen Stands: Pure or mixed stands of aspen greater than 1 ac (0.4 ha).
Biodiversity Areas and Corridors: Areas of habitat that are relatively important to various species of native fish and
wildlife (full descriptions in WDFW PHS report).
Herbaceous Balds: Variable size patches of grass and forbs on shallow soils over bedrock.
Old-growth/Mature forests: Old-growth west of Cascade crest – Stands of at least 2 tree species, forming a multi-
layered canopy with occasional small openings; with at least 8 trees/ac (20 trees/ha ) > 32 in (81 cm) dbh or > 200
years of age. Mature forests – Stands with average diameters exceeding 21 in (53 cm) dbh; crown cover may be less
than 100%; decay, decadence, numbers of snags, and quantity of large downed material is generally less than that
found in old-growth; 80-200 years old west of the Cascade crest.
Oregon White Oak: Woodland stands of pure oak or oak/conifer associations where canopy coverage of the oak
component is important (full descriptions in WDFW PHS report p. 158 – see web link above).
Riparian: The area adjacent to aquatic systems with flowing water that contains elements of both aquatic and
terrestrial ecosystems which mutually influence each other.
Westside Prairies: Herbaceous, non-forested plant communities that can either take the form of a dry prairie or a wet
prairie (full descriptions in WDFW PHS report p. 161 – see web link above).
Instream: The combination of physical, biological, and chemical processes and conditions that interact to provide
functional life history requirements for instream fish and wildlife resources.
Nearshore: Relatively undisturbed nearshore habitats. These include Coastal Nearshore, Open Coast Nearshore, and
Puget Sound Nearshore. (full descriptions of habitats and the definition of relatively undisturbed are in WDFW report –
see web link on previous page).
Caves: A naturally occurring cavity, recess, void, or system of interconnected passages under the earth in soils, rock,
ice, or other geological formations and is large enough to contain a human.
Cliffs: Greater than 25 ft (7.6 m) high and occurring below 5000 ft elevation.
Talus: Homogenous areas of rock rubble ranging in average size 0.5 - 6.5 ft (0.15 - 2.0 m), composed of basalt, andesite,
and/or sedimentary rock, including riprap slides and mine tailings. May be associated with cliffs.
Snags and Logs: Trees are considered snags if they are dead or dying and exhibit sufficient decay characteristics to
enable cavity excavation/use by wildlife. Priority snags have a diameter at breast height of > 20 in (51 cm) in western
Washington and are > 6.5 ft (2 m) in height. Priority logs are > 12 in (30 cm) in diameter at the largest end, and > 20 ft
(6 m) long.
Note: All vegetated wetlands are by definition a priority habitat but are not included in this list because they are addressed
elsewhere.
B
4
4
DocuSign Envelope ID: AC93AC96-23C9-407A-AD8C-ABF7C947B8E5
Wetland name or number ______
Wetland Rating System for Western WA: 2014 Update 16
Rating Form – Effective January 1, 2015
CATEGORIZATION BASED ON SPECIAL CHARACTERISTICS
Wetland Type
Check off any criteria that apply to the wetland. Circle the category when the appropriate criteria are met.
Category
SC 1.0. Estuarine wetlands
Does the wetland meet the following criteria for Estuarine wetlands?
The dominant water regime is tidal,
Vegetated, and
With a salinity greater than 0.5 ppt Yes –Go to SC 1.1 No= Not an estuarine wetland
SC 1.1. Is the wetland within a National Wildlife Refuge, National Park, National Estuary Reserve, Natural Area
Preserve, State Park or Educational, Environmental, or Scientific Reserve designated under WAC 332-30-151?
Yes = Category I No - Go to SC 1.2
Cat. I
SC 1.2. Is the wetland unit at least 1 ac in size and meets at least two of the following three conditions?
The wetland is relatively undisturbed (has no diking, ditching, filling, cultivation, grazing, and has less
than 10% cover of non-native plant species. (If non-native species are Spartina, see page 25)
At least ¾ of the landward edge of the wetland has a 100 ft buffer of shrub, forest, or un-grazed or un-
mowed grassland.
The wetland has at least two of the following features: tidal channels, depressions with open water, or
contiguous freshwater wetlands. Yes = Category I No = Category II
Cat. I
Cat. II
SC 2.0. Wetlands of High Conservation Value (WHCV)
SC 2.1. Has the WA Department of Natural Resources updated their website to include the list of Wetlands of High
Conservation Value? Yes – Go to SC 2.2 No – Go to SC 2.3
SC 2.2. Is the wetland listed on the WDNR database as a Wetland of High Conservation Value?
Yes = Category I No = Not a WHCV
SC 2.3. Is the wetland in a Section/Township/Range that contains a Natural Heritage wetland?
http://www1.dnr.wa.gov/nhp/refdesk/datasearch/wnhpwetlands.pdf
Yes – Contact WNHP/WDNR and go to SC 2.4 No = Not a WHCV
SC 2.4. Has WDNR identified the wetland within the S/T/R as a Wetland of High Conservation Value and listed it on
their website? Yes = Category I No = Not a WHCV
Cat. I
SC 3.0. Bogs
Does the wetland (or any part of the unit) meet both the criteria for soils and vegetation in bogs? Use the key
below. If you answer YES you will still need to rate the wetland based on its functions.
SC 3.1. Does an area within the wetland unit have organic soil horizons, either peats or mucks, that compose 16 in or
more of the first 32 in of the soil profile? Yes – Go to SC 3.3 No – Go to SC 3.2
SC 3.2. Does an area within the wetland unit have organic soils, either peats or mucks, that are less than 16 in deep
over bedrock, or an impermeable hardpan such as clay or volcanic ash, or that are floating on top of a lake or
pond? Yes – Go to SC 3.3 No = Is not a bog
SC 3.3. Does an area with peats or mucks have more than 70% cover of mosses at ground level, AND at least a 30%
cover of plant species listed in Table 4? Yes = Is a Category I bog No – Go to SC 3.4
NOTE: If you are uncertain about the extent of mosses in the understory, you may substitute that criterion by
measuring the pH of the water that seeps into a hole dug at least 16 in deep. If the pH is less than 5.0 and the
plant species in Table 4 are present, the wetland is a bog.
SC 3.4. Is an area with peats or mucks forested (> 30% cover) with Sitka spruce, subalpine fir, western red cedar,
western hemlock, lodgepole pine, quaking aspen, Engelmann spruce, or western white pine, AND any of the
species (or combination of species) listed in Table 4 provide more than 30% of the cover under the canopy?
Yes = Is a Category I bog No = Is not a bog
Cat. I
B
DocuSign Envelope ID: AC93AC96-23C9-407A-AD8C-ABF7C947B8E5
Wetland name or number ______
Wetland Rating System for Western WA: 2014 Update 17
Rating Form – Effective January 1, 2015
SC 4.0. Forested Wetlands
Does the wetland have at least 1 contiguous acre of forest that meets one of these criteria for the WA
Department of Fish and Wildlife’s forests as priority habitats? If you answer YES you will still need to rate
the wetland based on its functions.
Old-growth forests (west of Cascade crest): Stands of at least two tree species, forming a multi-layered
canopy with occasional small openings; with at least 8 trees/ac (20 trees/ha) that are at least 200 years of
age OR have a diameter at breast height (dbh) of 32 in (81 cm) or more.
Mature forests (west of the Cascade Crest): Stands where the largest trees are 80- 200 years old OR the
species that make up the canopy have an average diameter (dbh) exceeding 21 in (53 cm).
Yes = Category I No = Not a forested wetland for this section
Cat. I
SC 5.0. Wetlands in Coastal Lagoons
Does the wetland meet all of the following criteria of a wetland in a coastal lagoon?
The wetland lies in a depression adjacent to marine waters that is wholly or partially separated from
marine waters by sandbanks, gravel banks, shingle, or, less frequently, rocks
The lagoon in which the wetland is located contains ponded water that is saline or brackish (> 0.5 ppt)
during most of the year in at least a portion of the lagoon (needs to be measured near the bottom)
Yes – Go to SC 5.1 No = Not a wetland in a coastal lagoon
SC 5.1. Does the wetland meet all of the following three conditions?
The wetland is relatively undisturbed (has no diking, ditching, filling, cultivation, grazing), and has less
than 20% cover of aggressive, opportunistic plant species (see list of species on p. 100).
At least ¾ of the landward edge of the wetland has a 100 ft buffer of shrub, forest, or un-grazed or un-
mowed grassland.
The wetland is larger than 1/10 ac (4350 ft2)
Yes = Category I No = Category II
Cat. I
Cat. II
SC 6.0. Interdunal Wetlands
Is the wetland west of the 1889 line (also called the Western Boundary of Upland Ownership or WBUO)? If
you answer yes you will still need to rate the wetland based on its habitat functions.
In practical terms that means the following geographic areas:
Long Beach Peninsula: Lands west of SR 103
Grayland-Westport: Lands west of SR 105
Ocean Shores-Copalis: Lands west of SR 115 and SR 109
Yes – Go to SC 6.1 No = not an interdunal wetland for rating
SC 6.1. Is the wetland 1 ac or larger and scores an 8 or 9 for the habitat functions on the form (rates H,H,H or H,H,M
for the three aspects of function)? Yes = Category I No – Go to SC 6.2
SC 6.2. Is the wetland 1 ac or larger, or is it in a mosaic of wetlands that is 1 ac or larger?
Yes = Category II No – Go to SC 6.3
SC 6.3. Is the unit between 0.1 and 1 ac, or is it in a mosaic of wetlands that is between 0.1 and 1 ac?
Yes = Category III No = Category IV
Cat I
Cat. II
Cat. III
Cat. IV
Category of wetland based on Special Characteristics
If you answered No for all types, enter “Not Applicable” on Summary Form
B
N/A
DocuSign Envelope ID: AC93AC96-23C9-407A-AD8C-ABF7C947B8E5
Wetland name or number ______
Wetland Rating System for Western WA: 2014 Update 18
Rating Form – Effective January 1, 2015
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Wetland name or number ______
Wetland Rating System for Western WA: 2014 Update 1
Rating Form – Effective January 1, 2015
Score for each function based on three ratings (order of ratings is not important)
9 = H,H,H
8 = H,H,M
7 = H,H,L
7 = H,M,M
6 = H,M,L
6 = M,M,M
5 = H,L,L
5 = M,M,L
4 = M,L,L
3 = L,L,L
RATING SUMMARY – Western Washington
Name of wetland (or ID #): _________________________________ Date of site visit: _____
Rated by____________________________ Trained by Ecology?__ Yes ___No Date of training______
HGM Class used for rating_________________ Wetland has multiple HGM classes?___Y ____N
NOTE: Form is not complete without the figures requested (figures can be combined).
Source of base aerial photo/map ______________________________________
OVERALL WETLAND CATEGORY ____ (based on functions___ or special characteristics___)
1. Category of wetland based on FUNCTIONS
_______Category I – Total score = 23 - 27
_______Category II – Total score = 20 - 22
_______Category III – Total score = 16 - 19
_______Category IV – Total score = 9 - 15
FUNCTION
Improving
Water Quality
Hydrologic
Habitat
Circle the appropriate ratings
Site Potential H M L H M L H M L
Landscape Potential H M L H M L H M L
Value H M L H M L H M L TOTAL
Score Based on
Ratings
2. Category based on SPECIAL CHARACTERISTICS of wetland
CHARACTERISTIC CATEGORY
Estuarine I II
Wetland of High Conservation Value I
Bog I
Mature Forest I
Old Growth Forest I
Coastal Lagoon I II
Interdunal I II III IV
None of the above
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Wetland name or number ______
Wetland Rating System for Western WA: 2014 Update 2
Rating Form – Effective January 1, 2015
Maps and figures required to answer questions correctly for
Western Washington
Depressional Wetlands
Map of: To answer questions: Figure #
Cowardin plant classes D 1.3, H 1.1, H 1.4
Hydroperiods D 1.4, H 1.2
Location of outlet (can be added to map of hydroperiods) D 1.1, D 4.1
Boundary of area within 150 ft of the wetland (can be added to another figure) D 2.2, D 5.2
Map of the contributing basin D 4.3, D 5.3
1 km Polygon: Area that extends 1 km from entire wetland edge - including
polygons for accessible habitat and undisturbed habitat
H 2.1, H 2.2, H 2.3
Screen capture of map of 303(d) listed waters in basin (from Ecology website) D 3.1, D 3.2
Screen capture of list of TMDLs for WRIA in which unit is found (from web) D 3.3
Riverine Wetlands
Map of: To answer questions: Figure #
Cowardin plant classes H 1.1, H 1.4
Hydroperiods H 1.2
Ponded depressions R 1.1
Boundary of area within 150 ft of the wetland (can be added to another figure) R 2.4
Plant cover of trees, shrubs, and herbaceous plants R 1.2, R 4.2
Width of unit vs. width of stream (can be added to another figure) R 4.1
Map of the contributing basin R 2.2, R 2.3, R 5.2
1 km Polygon: Area that extends 1 km from entire wetland edge - including
polygons for accessible habitat and undisturbed habitat
H 2.1, H 2.2, H 2.3
Screen capture of map of 303(d) listed waters in basin (from Ecology website) R 3.1
Screen capture of list of TMDLs for WRIA in which unit is found (from web) R 3.2, R 3.3
Lake Fringe Wetlands
Map of: To answer questions: Figure #
Cowardin plant classes L 1.1, L 4.1, H 1.1, H 1.4
Plant cover of trees, shrubs, and herbaceous plants L 1.2
Boundary of area within 150 ft of the wetland (can be added to another figure) L 2.2
1 km Polygon: Area that extends 1 km from entire wetland edge - including
polygons for accessible habitat and undisturbed habitat
H 2.1, H 2.2, H 2.3
Screen capture of map of 303(d) listed waters in basin (from Ecology website) L 3.1, L 3.2
Screen capture of list of TMDLs for WRIA in which unit is found (from web) L 3.3
Slope Wetlands
Map of: To answer questions: Figure #
Cowardin plant classes H 1.1, H 1.4
Hydroperiods H 1.2
Plant cover of dense trees, shrubs, and herbaceous plants S 1.3
Plant cover of dense, rigid trees, shrubs, and herbaceous plants
(can be added to figure above)
S 4.1
Boundary of 150 ft buffer (can be added to another figure) S 2.1, S 5.1
1 km Polygon: Area that extends 1 km from entire wetland edge - including
polygons for accessible habitat and undisturbed habitat
H 2.1, H 2.2, H 2.3
Screen capture of map of 303(d) listed waters in basin (from Ecology website) S 3.1, S 3.2
Screen capture of list of TMDLs for WRIA in which unit is found (from web) S 3.3
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Wetland name or number ______
Wetland Rating System for Western WA: 2014 Update 3
Rating Form – Effective January 1, 2015
HGM Classification of Wetlands in Western Washington
1. Are the water levels in the entire unit usually controlled by tides except during floods?
NO – go to 2 YES – the wetland class is Tidal Fringe – go to 1.1
1.1 Is the salinity of the water during periods of annual low flow below 0.5 ppt (parts per thousand)?
NO – Saltwater Tidal Fringe (Estuarine) YES – Freshwater Tidal Fringe
If your wetland can be classified as a Freshwater Tidal Fringe use the forms for Riverine wetlands. If it
is Saltwater Tidal Fringe it is an Estuarine wetland and is not scored. This method cannot be used to
score functions for estuarine wetlands.
2. The entire wetland unit is flat and precipitation is the only source (>90%) of water to it. Groundwater
and surface water runoff are NOT sources of water to the unit.
NO – go to 3 YES – The wetland class is Flats
If your wetland can be classified as a Flats wetland, use the form for Depressional wetlands.
3. Does the entire wetland unit meet all of the following criteria?
___The vegetated part of the wetland is on the shores of a body of permanent open water (without any
plants on the surface at any time of the year) at least 20 ac (8 ha) in size;
___At least 30% of the open water area is deeper than 6.6 ft (2 m).
NO – go to 4 YES – The wetland class is Lake Fringe (Lacustrine Fringe)
4. Does the entire wetland unit meet all of the following criteria?
____The wetland is on a slope (slope can be very gradual),
____The water flows through the wetland in one direction (unidirectional) and usually comes from
seeps. It may flow subsurface, as sheetflow, or in a swale without distinct banks,
____The water leaves the wetland without being impounded.
NO – go to 5 YES – The wetland class is Slope
NOTE: Surface water does not pond in these type of wetlands except occasionally in very small and
shallow depressions or behind hummocks (depressions are usually <3 ft diameter and less than 1 ft
deep).
5. Does the entire wetland unit meet all of the following criteria?
____The unit is in a valley, or stream channel, where it gets inundated by overbank flooding from that
stream or river,
____The overbank flooding occurs at least once every 2 years.
For questions 1-7, the criteria described must apply to the entire unit being rated.
If the hydrologic criteria listed in each question do not apply to the entire unit being rated, you
probably have a unit with multiple HGM classes. In this case, identify which hydrologic criteria in
questions 1-7 apply, and go to Question 8.
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Wetland Rating System for Western WA: 2014 Update 4
Rating Form – Effective January 1, 2015
NO – go to 6 YES – The wetland class is Riverine
NOTE: The Riverine unit can contain depressions that are filled with water when the river is not
flooding
6. Is the entire wetland unit in a topographic depression in which water ponds, or is saturated to the
surface, at some time during the year? This means that any outlet, if present, is higher than the interior
of the wetland.
NO – go to 7 YES – The wetland class is Depressional
7. Is the entire wetland unit located in a very flat area with no obvious depression and no overbank
flooding? The unit does not pond surface water more than a few inches. The unit seems to be
maintained by high groundwater in the area. The wetland may be ditched, but has no obvious natural
outlet.
NO – go to 8 YES – The wetland class is Depressional
8. Your wetland unit seems to be difficult to classify and probably contains several different HGM
classes. For example, seeps at the base of a slope may grade into a riverine floodplain, or a small
stream within a Depressional wetland has a zone of flooding along its sides. GO BACK AND IDENTIFY
WHICH OF THE HYDROLOGIC REGIMES DESCRIBED IN QUESTIONS 1-7 APPLY TO DIFFERENT
AREAS IN THE UNIT (make a rough sketch to help you decide). Use the following table to identify the
appropriate class to use for the rating system if you have several HGM classes present within the
wetland unit being scored.
NOTE: Use this table only if the class that is recommended in the second column represents 10% or
more of the total area of the wetland unit being rated. If the area of the HGM class listed in column 2
is less than 10% of the unit; classify the wetland using the class that represents more than 90% of the
total area.
HGM classes within the wetland unit
being rated
HGM class to
use in rating
Slope + Riverine Riverine
Slope + Depressional Depressional
Slope + Lake Fringe Lake Fringe
Depressional + Riverine along stream
within boundary of depression
Depressional
Depressional + Lake Fringe Depressional
Riverine + Lake Fringe Riverine
Salt Water Tidal Fringe and any other
class of freshwater wetland
Treat as
ESTUARINE
If you are still unable to determine which of the above criteria apply to your wetland, or if you have
more than 2 HGM classes within a wetland boundary, classify the wetland as Depressional for the
rating.
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Wetland name or number ______
Wetland Rating System for Western WA: 2014 Update 11
Rating Form – Effective January 1, 2015
SLOPE WETLANDS
Water Quality Functions - Indicators that the site functions to improve water quality
S 1.0. Does the site have the potential to improve water quality?
S 1.1. Characteristics of the average slope of the wetland: (a 1% slope has a 1 ft vertical drop in elevation for every
100 ft of horizontal distance)
Slope is 1% or less points = 3
Slope is > 1%-2% points = 2
Slope is > 2%-5% points = 1
Slope is greater than 5% points = 0
S 1.2. The soil 2 in below the surface (or duff layer) is true clay or true organic (use NRCS definitions): Yes = 3 No = 0
S 1.3. Characteristics of the plants in the wetland that trap sediments and pollutants:
Choose the points appropriate for the description that best fits the plants in the wetland. Dense means you
have trouble seeing the soil surface (>75% cover), and uncut means not grazed or mowed and plants are higher
than 6 in.
Dense, uncut, herbaceous plants > 90% of the wetland area points = 6
Dense, uncut, herbaceous plants > ½ of area points = 3
Dense, woody, plants > ½ of area points = 2
Dense, uncut, herbaceous plants > ¼ of area points = 1
Does not meet any of the criteria above for plants points = 0
Total for S 1 Add the points in the boxes above
Rating of Site Potential If score is: 12 = H 6-11 = M 0-5 = L Record the rating on the first page
S 2.0. Does the landscape have the potential to support the water quality function of the site?
S 2.1. Is > 10% of the area within 150 ft on the uphill side of the wetland in land uses that generate pollutants?
Yes = 1 No = 0
S 2.2. Are there other sources of pollutants coming into the wetland that are not listed in question S 2.1?
Other sources ________________ Yes = 1 No = 0
Total for S 2 Add the points in the boxes above
Rating of Landscape Potential If score is: 1-2 = M 0 = L Record the rating on the first page
S 3.0. Is the water quality improvement provided by the site valuable to society?
S 3.1. Does the wetland discharge directly (i.e., within 1 mi) to a stream, river, lake, or marine water that is on the
303(d) list? Yes = 1 No = 0
S 3.2. Is the wetland in a basin or sub-basin where water quality is an issue? At least one aquatic resource in the basin is
on the 303(d) list. Yes = 1 No = 0
S 3.3. Has the site been identified in a watershed or local plan as important for maintaining water quality? Answer YES
if there is a TMDL for the basin in which unit is found. Yes = 2 No = 0
Total for S 3 Add the points in the boxes above
Rating of Value If score is: 2-4 = H 1 = M 0 = L Record the rating on the first page
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Wetland name or number ______
Wetland Rating System for Western WA: 2014 Update 12
Rating Form – Effective January 1, 2015
SLOPE WETLANDS
Hydrologic Functions - Indicators that the site functions to reduce flooding and stream erosion
S 4.0. Does the site have the potential to reduce flooding and stream erosion?
S 4.1. Characteristics of plants that reduce the velocity of surface flows during storms: Choose the points appropriate
for the description that best fits conditions in the wetland. Stems of plants should be thick enough (usually > 1/8
in), or dense enough, to remain erect during surface flows.
Dense, uncut, rigid plants cover > 90% of the area of the wetland points = 1
All other conditions points = 0
Rating of Site Potential If score is: 1 = M 0 = L Record the rating on the first page
S 5.0. Does the landscape have the potential to support the hydrologic functions of the site?
S 5.1. Is more than 25% of the area within 150 ft upslope of wetland in land uses or cover that generate excess
surface runoff? Yes = 1 No = 0
Rating of Landscape Potential If score is: 1 = M 0 = L Record the rating on the first page
S 6.0. Are the hydrologic functions provided by the site valuable to society?
S 6.1. Distance to the nearest areas downstream that have flooding problems:
The sub-basin immediately down-gradient of site has flooding problems that result in damage to human or
natural resources (e.g., houses or salmon redds) points = 2
Surface flooding problems are in a sub-basin farther down-gradient points = 1
No flooding problems anywhere downstream points = 0
S 6.2. Has the site been identified as important for flood storage or flood conveyance in a regional flood control plan?
Yes = 2 No = 0
Total for S 6 Add the points in the boxes above
Rating of Value If score is: 2-4 = H 1 = M 0 = L Record the rating on the first page
NOTES and FIELD OBSERVATIONS:
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Wetland name or number ______
Wetland Rating System for Western WA: 2014 Update 13
Rating Form – Effective January 1, 2015
These questions apply to wetlands of all HGM classes.
HABITAT FUNCTIONS - Indicators that site functions to provide important habitat
H 1.0. Does the site have the potential to provide habitat?
H 1.1. Structure of plant community: Indicators are Cowardin classes and strata within the Forested class. Check the
Cowardin plant classes in the wetland. Up to 10 patches may be combined for each class to meet the threshold
of ¼ ac or more than 10% of the unit if it is smaller than 2.5 ac. Add the number of structures checked.
____Aquatic bed 4 structures or more: points = 4
____Emergent 3 structures: points = 2
____Scrub-shrub (areas where shrubs have > 30% cover) 2 structures: points = 1
____Forested (areas where trees have > 30% cover) 1 structure: points = 0
If the unit has a Forested class, check if:
____The Forested class has 3 out of 5 strata (canopy, sub-canopy, shrubs, herbaceous, moss/ground-cover)
that each cover 20% within the Forested polygon
H 1.2. Hydroperiods
Check the types of water regimes (hydroperiods) present within the wetland. The water regime has to cover
more than 10% of the wetland or ¼ ac to count (see text for descriptions of hydroperiods).
____Permanently flooded or inundated 4 or more types present: points = 3
____Seasonally flooded or inundated 3 types present: points = 2
____Occasionally flooded or inundated 2 types present: points = 1
____Saturated only 1 type present: points = 0
____Permanently flowing stream or river in, or adjacent to, the wetland
____Seasonally flowing stream in, or adjacent to, the wetland
____Lake Fringe wetland 2 points
____Freshwater tidal wetland 2 points
H 1.3. Richness of plant species
Count the number of plant species in the wetland that cover at least 10 ft2.
Different patches of the same species can be combined to meet the size threshold and you do not have to name
the species. Do not include Eurasian milfoil, reed canarygrass, purple loosestrife, Canadian thistle
If you counted: > 19 species points = 2
5 - 19 species points = 1
< 5 species points = 0
H 1.4. Interspersion of habitats
Decide from the diagrams below whether interspersion among Cowardin plants classes (described in H 1.1), or
the classes and unvegetated areas (can include open water or mudflats) is high, moderate, low, or none. If you
have four or more plant classes or three classes and open water, the rating is always high.
None = 0 points Low = 1 point Moderate = 2 points
All three diagrams
in this row
are HIGH = 3points
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Wetland name or number ______
Wetland Rating System for Western WA: 2014 Update 14
Rating Form – Effective January 1, 2015
H 1.5. Special habitat features:
Check the habitat features that are present in the wetland. The number of checks is the number of points.
____Large, downed, woody debris within the wetland (> 4 in diameter and 6 ft long).
____Standing snags (dbh > 4 in) within the wetland
____Undercut banks are present for at least 6.6 ft (2 m) and/or overhanging plants extends at least 3.3 ft (1 m)
over a stream (or ditch) in, or contiguous with the wetland, for at least 33 ft (10 m)
____Stable steep banks of fine material that might be used by beaver or muskrat for denning (> 30 degree
slope) OR signs of recent beaver activity are present (cut shrubs or trees that have not yet weathered
where wood is exposed)
____At least ¼ ac of thin-stemmed persistent plants or woody branches are present in areas that are
permanently or seasonally inundated (structures for egg-laying by amphibians)
____Invasive plants cover less than 25% of the wetland area in every stratum of plants (see H 1.1 for list of
strata)
Total for H 1 Add the points in the boxes above
Rating of Site Potential If score is: 15-18 = H 7-14 = M 0-6 = L Record the rating on the first page
H 2.0. Does the landscape have the potential to support the habitat functions of the site?
H 2.1. Accessible habitat (include only habitat that directly abuts wetland unit).
Calculate: % undisturbed habitat + [(% moderate and low intensity land uses)/2] = _______%
If total accessible habitat is:
> 1/3 (33.3%) of 1 km Polygon points = 3
20-33% of 1 km Polygon points = 2
10-19% of 1 km Polygon points = 1
< 10% of 1 km Polygon points = 0
H 2.2. Undisturbed habitat in 1 km Polygon around the wetland.
Calculate: % undisturbed habitat + [(% moderate and low intensity land uses)/2] = _______%
Undisturbed habitat > 50% of Polygon points = 3
Undisturbed habitat 10-50% and in 1-3 patches points = 2
Undisturbed habitat 10-50% and > 3 patches points = 1
Undisturbed habitat < 10% of 1 km Polygon points = 0
H 2.3. Land use intensity in 1 km Polygon: If
> 50% of 1 km Polygon is high intensity land use points = (- 2)
≤ 50% of 1 km Polygon is high intensity points = 0
Total for H 2 Add the points in the boxes above
Rating of Landscape Potential If score is: 4-6 = H 1-3 = M < 1 = L Record the rating on the first page
H 3.0. Is the habitat provided by the site valuable to society?
H 3.1. Does the site provide habitat for species valued in laws, regulations, or policies? Choose only the highest score
that applies to the wetland being rated.
Site meets ANY of the following criteria: points = 2
It has 3 or more priority habitats within 100 m (see next page)
It provides habitat for Threatened or Endangered species (any plant or animal on the state or federal lists)
It is mapped as a location for an individual WDFW priority species
It is a Wetland of High Conservation Value as determined by the Department of Natural Resources
It has been categorized as an important habitat site in a local or regional comprehensive plan, in a
Shoreline Master Plan, or in a watershed plan
Site has 1 or 2 priority habitats (listed on next page) within 100 m points = 1
Site does not meet any of the criteria above points = 0
Rating of Value If score is: 2 = H 1 = M 0 = L Record the rating on the first page
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Wetland name or number ______
Wetland Rating System for Western WA: 2014 Update 15
Rating Form – Effective January 1, 2015
WDFW Priority Habitats
Priority habitats listed by WDFW (see complete descriptions of WDFW priority habitats, and the counties in which they can
be found, in: Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. 2008. Priority Habitat and Species List. Olympia, Washington.
177 pp. http://wdfw.wa.gov/publications/00165/wdfw00165.pdf or access the list from here:
http://wdfw.wa.gov/conservation/phs/list/)
Count how many of the following priority habitats are within 330 ft (100 m) of the wetland unit: NOTE: This question is
independent of the land use between the wetland unit and the priority habitat.
Aspen Stands: Pure or mixed stands of aspen greater than 1 ac (0.4 ha).
Biodiversity Areas and Corridors: Areas of habitat that are relatively important to various species of native fish and
wildlife (full descriptions in WDFW PHS report).
Herbaceous Balds: Variable size patches of grass and forbs on shallow soils over bedrock.
Old-growth/Mature forests: Old-growth west of Cascade crest – Stands of at least 2 tree species, forming a multi-
layered canopy with occasional small openings; with at least 8 trees/ac (20 trees/ha ) > 32 in (81 cm) dbh or > 200
years of age. Mature forests – Stands with average diameters exceeding 21 in (53 cm) dbh; crown cover may be less
than 100%; decay, decadence, numbers of snags, and quantity of large downed material is generally less than that
found in old-growth; 80-200 years old west of the Cascade crest.
Oregon White Oak: Woodland stands of pure oak or oak/conifer associations where canopy coverage of the oak
component is important (full descriptions in WDFW PHS report p. 158 – see web link above).
Riparian: The area adjacent to aquatic systems with flowing water that contains elements of both aquatic and
terrestrial ecosystems which mutually influence each other.
Westside Prairies: Herbaceous, non-forested plant communities that can either take the form of a dry prairie or a wet
prairie (full descriptions in WDFW PHS report p. 161 – see web link above).
Instream: The combination of physical, biological, and chemical processes and conditions that interact to provide
functional life history requirements for instream fish and wildlife resources.
Nearshore: Relatively undisturbed nearshore habitats. These include Coastal Nearshore, Open Coast Nearshore, and
Puget Sound Nearshore. (full descriptions of habitats and the definition of relatively undisturbed are in WDFW report –
see web link on previous page).
Caves: A naturally occurring cavity, recess, void, or system of interconnected passages under the earth in soils, rock,
ice, or other geological formations and is large enough to contain a human.
Cliffs: Greater than 25 ft (7.6 m) high and occurring below 5000 ft elevation.
Talus: Homogenous areas of rock rubble ranging in average size 0.5 - 6.5 ft (0.15 - 2.0 m), composed of basalt, andesite,
and/or sedimentary rock, including riprap slides and mine tailings. May be associated with cliffs.
Snags and Logs: Trees are considered snags if they are dead or dying and exhibit sufficient decay characteristics to
enable cavity excavation/use by wildlife. Priority snags have a diameter at breast height of > 20 in (51 cm) in western
Washington and are > 6.5 ft (2 m) in height. Priority logs are > 12 in (30 cm) in diameter at the largest end, and > 20 ft
(6 m) long.
Note: All vegetated wetlands are by definition a priority habitat but are not included in this list because they are addressed
elsewhere.
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Wetland name or number ______
Wetland Rating System for Western WA: 2014 Update 16
Rating Form – Effective January 1, 2015
CATEGORIZATION BASED ON SPECIAL CHARACTERISTICS
Wetland Type
Check off any criteria that apply to the wetland. Circle the category when the appropriate criteria are met.
Category
SC 1.0. Estuarine wetlands
Does the wetland meet the following criteria for Estuarine wetlands?
The dominant water regime is tidal,
Vegetated, and
With a salinity greater than 0.5 ppt Yes –Go to SC 1.1 No= Not an estuarine wetland
SC 1.1. Is the wetland within a National Wildlife Refuge, National Park, National Estuary Reserve, Natural Area
Preserve, State Park or Educational, Environmental, or Scientific Reserve designated under WAC 332-30-151?
Yes = Category I No - Go to SC 1.2
Cat. I
SC 1.2. Is the wetland unit at least 1 ac in size and meets at least two of the following three conditions?
The wetland is relatively undisturbed (has no diking, ditching, filling, cultivation, grazing, and has less
than 10% cover of non-native plant species. (If non-native species are Spartina, see page 25)
At least ¾ of the landward edge of the wetland has a 100 ft buffer of shrub, forest, or un-grazed or un-
mowed grassland.
The wetland has at least two of the following features: tidal channels, depressions with open water, or
contiguous freshwater wetlands. Yes = Category I No = Category II
Cat. I
Cat. II
SC 2.0. Wetlands of High Conservation Value (WHCV)
SC 2.1. Has the WA Department of Natural Resources updated their website to include the list of Wetlands of High
Conservation Value? Yes – Go to SC 2.2 No – Go to SC 2.3
SC 2.2. Is the wetland listed on the WDNR database as a Wetland of High Conservation Value?
Yes = Category I No = Not a WHCV
SC 2.3. Is the wetland in a Section/Township/Range that contains a Natural Heritage wetland?
http://www1.dnr.wa.gov/nhp/refdesk/datasearch/wnhpwetlands.pdf
Yes – Contact WNHP/WDNR and go to SC 2.4 No = Not a WHCV
SC 2.4. Has WDNR identified the wetland within the S/T/R as a Wetland of High Conservation Value and listed it on
their website? Yes = Category I No = Not a WHCV
Cat. I
SC 3.0. Bogs
Does the wetland (or any part of the unit) meet both the criteria for soils and vegetation in bogs? Use the key
below. If you answer YES you will still need to rate the wetland based on its functions.
SC 3.1. Does an area within the wetland unit have organic soil horizons, either peats or mucks, that compose 16 in or
more of the first 32 in of the soil profile? Yes – Go to SC 3.3 No – Go to SC 3.2
SC 3.2. Does an area within the wetland unit have organic soils, either peats or mucks, that are less than 16 in deep
over bedrock, or an impermeable hardpan such as clay or volcanic ash, or that are floating on top of a lake or
pond? Yes – Go to SC 3.3 No = Is not a bog
SC 3.3. Does an area with peats or mucks have more than 70% cover of mosses at ground level, AND at least a 30%
cover of plant species listed in Table 4? Yes = Is a Category I bog No – Go to SC 3.4
NOTE: If you are uncertain about the extent of mosses in the understory, you may substitute that criterion by
measuring the pH of the water that seeps into a hole dug at least 16 in deep. If the pH is less than 5.0 and the
plant species in Table 4 are present, the wetland is a bog.
SC 3.4. Is an area with peats or mucks forested (> 30% cover) with Sitka spruce, subalpine fir, western red cedar,
western hemlock, lodgepole pine, quaking aspen, Engelmann spruce, or western white pine, AND any of the
species (or combination of species) listed in Table 4 provide more than 30% of the cover under the canopy?
Yes = Is a Category I bog No = Is not a bog
Cat. I
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Wetland name or number ______
Wetland Rating System for Western WA: 2014 Update 17
Rating Form – Effective January 1, 2015
SC 4.0. Forested Wetlands
Does the wetland have at least 1 contiguous acre of forest that meets one of these criteria for the WA
Department of Fish and Wildlife’s forests as priority habitats? If you answer YES you will still need to rate
the wetland based on its functions.
Old-growth forests (west of Cascade crest): Stands of at least two tree species, forming a multi-layered
canopy with occasional small openings; with at least 8 trees/ac (20 trees/ha) that are at least 200 years of
age OR have a diameter at breast height (dbh) of 32 in (81 cm) or more.
Mature forests (west of the Cascade Crest): Stands where the largest trees are 80- 200 years old OR the
species that make up the canopy have an average diameter (dbh) exceeding 21 in (53 cm).
Yes = Category I No = Not a forested wetland for this section
Cat. I
SC 5.0. Wetlands in Coastal Lagoons
Does the wetland meet all of the following criteria of a wetland in a coastal lagoon?
The wetland lies in a depression adjacent to marine waters that is wholly or partially separated from
marine waters by sandbanks, gravel banks, shingle, or, less frequently, rocks
The lagoon in which the wetland is located contains ponded water that is saline or brackish (> 0.5 ppt)
during most of the year in at least a portion of the lagoon (needs to be measured near the bottom)
Yes – Go to SC 5.1 No = Not a wetland in a coastal lagoon
SC 5.1. Does the wetland meet all of the following three conditions?
The wetland is relatively undisturbed (has no diking, ditching, filling, cultivation, grazing), and has less
than 20% cover of aggressive, opportunistic plant species (see list of species on p. 100).
At least ¾ of the landward edge of the wetland has a 100 ft buffer of shrub, forest, or un-grazed or un-
mowed grassland.
The wetland is larger than 1/10 ac (4350 ft2)
Yes = Category I No = Category II
Cat. I
Cat. II
SC 6.0. Interdunal Wetlands
Is the wetland west of the 1889 line (also called the Western Boundary of Upland Ownership or WBUO)? If
you answer yes you will still need to rate the wetland based on its habitat functions.
In practical terms that means the following geographic areas:
Long Beach Peninsula: Lands west of SR 103
Grayland-Westport: Lands west of SR 105
Ocean Shores-Copalis: Lands west of SR 115 and SR 109
Yes – Go to SC 6.1 No = not an interdunal wetland for rating
SC 6.1. Is the wetland 1 ac or larger and scores an 8 or 9 for the habitat functions on the form (rates H,H,H or H,H,M
for the three aspects of function)? Yes = Category I No – Go to SC 6.2
SC 6.2. Is the wetland 1 ac or larger, or is it in a mosaic of wetlands that is 1 ac or larger?
Yes = Category II No – Go to SC 6.3
SC 6.3. Is the unit between 0.1 and 1 ac, or is it in a mosaic of wetlands that is between 0.1 and 1 ac?
Yes = Category III No = Category IV
Cat I
Cat. II
Cat. III
Cat. IV
Category of wetland based on Special Characteristics
If you answered No for all types, enter “Not Applicable” on Summary Form
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DocuSign Envelope ID: AC93AC96-23C9-407A-AD8C-ABF7C947B8E5
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Wetland Rating System for Western WA: 2014 Update 18
Rating Form – Effective January 1, 2015
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Wetland name or number ______
Wetland Rating System for Western WA: 2014 Update 1
Rating Form – Effective January 1, 2015
Score for each function based on three ratings (order of ratings is not important)
9 = H,H,H
8 = H,H,M
7 = H,H,L
7 = H,M,M
6 = H,M,L
6 = M,M,M
5 = H,L,L
5 = M,M,L
4 = M,L,L
3 = L,L,L
RATING SUMMARY – Western Washington
Name of wetland (or ID #): _________________________________ Date of site visit: _____
Rated by____________________________ Trained by Ecology?__ Yes ___No Date of training______
HGM Class used for rating_________________ Wetland has multiple HGM classes?___Y ____N
NOTE: Form is not complete without the figures requested (figures can be combined).
Source of base aerial photo/map ______________________________________
OVERALL WETLAND CATEGORY ____ (based on functions___ or special characteristics___)
1. Category of wetland based on FUNCTIONS
_______Category I – Total score = 23 - 27
_______Category II – Total score = 20 - 22
_______Category III – Total score = 16 - 19
_______Category IV – Total score = 9 - 15
FUNCTION
Improving
Water Quality
Hydrologic
Habitat
Circle the appropriate ratings
Site Potential H M L H M L H M L
Landscape Potential H M L H M L H M L
Value H M L H M L H M L TOTAL
Score Based on
Ratings
2. Category based on SPECIAL CHARACTERISTICS of wetland
CHARACTERISTIC CATEGORY
Estuarine I II
Wetland of High Conservation Value I
Bog I
Mature Forest I
Old Growth Forest I
Coastal Lagoon I II
Interdunal I II III IV
None of the above
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Wetland D 5/23/18
T. Amen, J. Rothwell 4 6/17
SLOPE
King County iMap
IV 4
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DocuSign Envelope ID: AC93AC96-23C9-407A-AD8C-ABF7C947B8E5
Wetland name or number ______
Wetland Rating System for Western WA: 2014 Update 2
Rating Form – Effective January 1, 2015
Maps and figures required to answer questions correctly for
Western Washington
Depressional Wetlands
Map of: To answer questions: Figure #
Cowardin plant classes D 1.3, H 1.1, H 1.4
Hydroperiods D 1.4, H 1.2
Location of outlet (can be added to map of hydroperiods) D 1.1, D 4.1
Boundary of area within 150 ft of the wetland (can be added to another figure) D 2.2, D 5.2
Map of the contributing basin D 4.3, D 5.3
1 km Polygon: Area that extends 1 km from entire wetland edge - including
polygons for accessible habitat and undisturbed habitat
H 2.1, H 2.2, H 2.3
Screen capture of map of 303(d) listed waters in basin (from Ecology website) D 3.1, D 3.2
Screen capture of list of TMDLs for WRIA in which unit is found (from web) D 3.3
Riverine Wetlands
Map of: To answer questions: Figure #
Cowardin plant classes H 1.1, H 1.4
Hydroperiods H 1.2
Ponded depressions R 1.1
Boundary of area within 150 ft of the wetland (can be added to another figure) R 2.4
Plant cover of trees, shrubs, and herbaceous plants R 1.2, R 4.2
Width of unit vs. width of stream (can be added to another figure) R 4.1
Map of the contributing basin R 2.2, R 2.3, R 5.2
1 km Polygon: Area that extends 1 km from entire wetland edge - including
polygons for accessible habitat and undisturbed habitat
H 2.1, H 2.2, H 2.3
Screen capture of map of 303(d) listed waters in basin (from Ecology website) R 3.1
Screen capture of list of TMDLs for WRIA in which unit is found (from web) R 3.2, R 3.3
Lake Fringe Wetlands
Map of: To answer questions: Figure #
Cowardin plant classes L 1.1, L 4.1, H 1.1, H 1.4
Plant cover of trees, shrubs, and herbaceous plants L 1.2
Boundary of area within 150 ft of the wetland (can be added to another figure) L 2.2
1 km Polygon: Area that extends 1 km from entire wetland edge - including
polygons for accessible habitat and undisturbed habitat
H 2.1, H 2.2, H 2.3
Screen capture of map of 303(d) listed waters in basin (from Ecology website) L 3.1, L 3.2
Screen capture of list of TMDLs for WRIA in which unit is found (from web) L 3.3
Slope Wetlands
Map of: To answer questions: Figure #
Cowardin plant classes H 1.1, H 1.4
Hydroperiods H 1.2
Plant cover of dense trees, shrubs, and herbaceous plants S 1.3
Plant cover of dense, rigid trees, shrubs, and herbaceous plants
(can be added to figure above)
S 4.1
Boundary of 150 ft buffer (can be added to another figure) S 2.1, S 5.1
1 km Polygon: Area that extends 1 km from entire wetland edge - including
polygons for accessible habitat and undisturbed habitat
H 2.1, H 2.2, H 2.3
Screen capture of map of 303(d) listed waters in basin (from Ecology website) S 3.1, S 3.2
Screen capture of list of TMDLs for WRIA in which unit is found (from web) S 3.3
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D1
D1
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D1
D2
D3
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DocuSign Envelope ID: AC93AC96-23C9-407A-AD8C-ABF7C947B8E5
Wetland name or number ______
Wetland Rating System for Western WA: 2014 Update 3
Rating Form – Effective January 1, 2015
HGM Classification of Wetlands in Western Washington
1.Are the water levels in the entire unit usually controlled by tides except during floods?
NO – go to 2 YES – the wetland class is Tidal Fringe – go to 1.1
1.1 Is the salinity of the water during periods of annual low flow below 0.5 ppt (parts per thousand)?
NO – Saltwater Tidal Fringe (Estuarine) YES – Freshwater Tidal Fringe
If your wetland can be classified as a Freshwater Tidal Fringe use the forms for Riverine wetlands. If it
is Saltwater Tidal Fringe it is an Estuarine wetland and is not scored. This method cannot be used to
score functions for estuarine wetlands.
2.The entire wetland unit is flat and precipitation is the only source (>90%) of water to it. Groundwater
and surface water runoff are NOT sources of water to the unit.
NO – go to 3 YES – The wetland class is Flats
If your wetland can be classified as a Flats wetland, use the form for Depressional wetlands.
3.Does the entire wetland unit meet all of the following criteria?
___The vegetated part of the wetland is on the shores of a body of permanent open water (without any
plants on the surface at any time of the year) at least 20 ac (8 ha) in size;
___At least 30% of the open water area is deeper than 6.6 ft (2 m).
NO – go to 4 YES – The wetland class is Lake Fringe (Lacustrine Fringe)
4.Does the entire wetland unit meet all of the following criteria?
____The wetland is on a slope (slope can be very gradual),
____The water flows through the wetland in one direction (unidirectional) and usually comes from
seeps. It may flow subsurface, as sheetflow, or in a swale without distinct banks,
____The water leaves the wetland without being impounded.
NO – go to 5 YES – The wetland class is Slope
NOTE: Surface water does not pond in these type of wetlands except occasionally in very small and
shallow depressions or behind hummocks (depressions are usually <3 ft diameter and less than 1 ft
deep).
5.Does the entire wetland unit meet all of the following criteria?
____The unit is in a valley, or stream channel, where it gets inundated by overbank flooding from that
stream or river,
____The overbank flooding occurs at least once every 2 years.
For questions 1-7, the criteria described must apply to the entire unit being rated.
If the hydrologic criteria listed in each question do not apply to the entire unit being rated, you
probably have a unit with multiple HGM classes. In this case, identify which hydrologic criteria in
questions 1-7 apply, and go to Question 8.
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DocuSign Envelope ID: AC93AC96-23C9-407A-AD8C-ABF7C947B8E5
Wetland name or number ______
Wetland Rating System for Western WA: 2014 Update 4
Rating Form – Effective January 1, 2015
NO – go to 6 YES – The wetland class is Riverine
NOTE: The Riverine unit can contain depressions that are filled with water when the river is not
flooding
6. Is the entire wetland unit in a topographic depression in which water ponds, or is saturated to the
surface, at some time during the year? This means that any outlet, if present, is higher than the interior
of the wetland.
NO – go to 7 YES – The wetland class is Depressional
7. Is the entire wetland unit located in a very flat area with no obvious depression and no overbank
flooding? The unit does not pond surface water more than a few inches. The unit seems to be
maintained by high groundwater in the area. The wetland may be ditched, but has no obvious natural
outlet.
NO – go to 8 YES – The wetland class is Depressional
8. Your wetland unit seems to be difficult to classify and probably contains several different HGM
classes. For example, seeps at the base of a slope may grade into a riverine floodplain, or a small
stream within a Depressional wetland has a zone of flooding along its sides. GO BACK AND IDENTIFY
WHICH OF THE HYDROLOGIC REGIMES DESCRIBED IN QUESTIONS 1-7 APPLY TO DIFFERENT
AREAS IN THE UNIT (make a rough sketch to help you decide). Use the following table to identify the
appropriate class to use for the rating system if you have several HGM classes present within the
wetland unit being scored.
NOTE: Use this table only if the class that is recommended in the second column represents 10% or
more of the total area of the wetland unit being rated. If the area of the HGM class listed in column 2
is less than 10% of the unit; classify the wetland using the class that represents more than 90% of the
total area.
HGM classes within the wetland unit
being rated
HGM class to
use in rating
Slope + Riverine Riverine
Slope + Depressional Depressional
Slope + Lake Fringe Lake Fringe
Depressional + Riverine along stream
within boundary of depression
Depressional
Depressional + Lake Fringe Depressional
Riverine + Lake Fringe Riverine
Salt Water Tidal Fringe and any other
class of freshwater wetland
Treat as
ESTUARINE
If you are still unable to determine which of the above criteria apply to your wetland, or if you have
more than 2 HGM classes within a wetland boundary, classify the wetland as Depressional for the
rating.
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DocuSign Envelope ID: AC93AC96-23C9-407A-AD8C-ABF7C947B8E5
Wetland name or number ______
Wetland Rating System for Western WA: 2014 Update 11
Rating Form – Effective January 1, 2015
SLOPE WETLANDS
Water Quality Functions - Indicators that the site functions to improve water quality
S 1.0. Does the site have the potential to improve water quality?
S 1.1. Characteristics of the average slope of the wetland: (a 1% slope has a 1 ft vertical drop in elevation for every
100 ft of horizontal distance)
Slope is 1% or less points = 3
Slope is > 1%-2% points = 2
Slope is > 2%-5% points = 1
Slope is greater than 5% points = 0
S 1.2. The soil 2 in below the surface (or duff layer) is true clay or true organic (use NRCS definitions): Yes = 3 No = 0
S 1.3. Characteristics of the plants in the wetland that trap sediments and pollutants:
Choose the points appropriate for the description that best fits the plants in the wetland. Dense means you
have trouble seeing the soil surface (>75% cover), and uncut means not grazed or mowed and plants are higher
than 6 in.
Dense, uncut, herbaceous plants > 90% of the wetland area points = 6
Dense, uncut, herbaceous plants > ½ of area points = 3
Dense, woody, plants > ½ of area points = 2
Dense, uncut, herbaceous plants > ¼ of area points = 1
Does not meet any of the criteria above for plants points = 0
Total for S 1 Add the points in the boxes above
Rating of Site Potential If score is: 12 = H 6-11 = M 0-5 = L Record the rating on the first page
S 2.0. Does the landscape have the potential to support the water quality function of the site?
S 2.1. Is > 10% of the area within 150 ft on the uphill side of the wetland in land uses that generate pollutants?
Yes = 1 No = 0
S 2.2. Are there other sources of pollutants coming into the wetland that are not listed in question S 2.1?
Other sources ________________ Yes = 1 No = 0
Total for S 2 Add the points in the boxes above
Rating of Landscape Potential If score is: 1-2 = M 0 = L Record the rating on the first page
S 3.0. Is the water quality improvement provided by the site valuable to society?
S 3.1. Does the wetland discharge directly (i.e., within 1 mi) to a stream, river, lake, or marine water that is on the
303(d) list? Yes = 1 No = 0
S 3.2. Is the wetland in a basin or sub-basin where water quality is an issue? At least one aquatic resource in the basin is
on the 303(d) list. Yes = 1 No = 0
S 3.3. Has the site been identified in a watershed or local plan as important for maintaining water quality? Answer YES
if there is a TMDL for the basin in which unit is found. Yes = 2 No = 0
Total for S 3 Add the points in the boxes above
Rating of Value If score is: 2-4 = H 1 = M 0 = L Record the rating on the first page
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DocuSign Envelope ID: AC93AC96-23C9-407A-AD8C-ABF7C947B8E5
Wetland name or number ______
Wetland Rating System for Western WA: 2014 Update 12
Rating Form – Effective January 1, 2015
SLOPE WETLANDS
Hydrologic Functions - Indicators that the site functions to reduce flooding and stream erosion
S 4.0. Does the site have the potential to reduce flooding and stream erosion?
S 4.1. Characteristics of plants that reduce the velocity of surface flows during storms: Choose the points appropriate
for the description that best fits conditions in the wetland. Stems of plants should be thick enough (usually > 1/8
in), or dense enough, to remain erect during surface flows.
Dense, uncut, rigid plants cover > 90% of the area of the wetland points = 1
All other conditions points = 0
Rating of Site Potential If score is: 1 = M 0 = L Record the rating on the first page
S 5.0. Does the landscape have the potential to support the hydrologic functions of the site?
S 5.1. Is more than 25% of the area within 150 ft upslope of wetland in land uses or cover that generate excess
surface runoff? Yes = 1 No = 0
Rating of Landscape Potential If score is: 1 = M 0 = L Record the rating on the first page
S 6.0. Are the hydrologic functions provided by the site valuable to society?
S 6.1. Distance to the nearest areas downstream that have flooding problems:
The sub-basin immediately down-gradient of site has flooding problems that result in damage to human or
natural resources (e.g., houses or salmon redds) points = 2
Surface flooding problems are in a sub-basin farther down-gradient points = 1
No flooding problems anywhere downstream points = 0
S 6.2. Has the site been identified as important for flood storage or flood conveyance in a regional flood control plan?
Yes = 2 No = 0
Total for S 6 Add the points in the boxes above
Rating of Value If score is: 2-4 = H 1 = M 0 = L Record the rating on the first page
NOTES and FIELD OBSERVATIONS:
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DocuSign Envelope ID: AC93AC96-23C9-407A-AD8C-ABF7C947B8E5
Wetland name or number ______
Wetland Rating System for Western WA: 2014 Update 13
Rating Form – Effective January 1, 2015
These questions apply to wetlands of all HGM classes.
HABITAT FUNCTIONS - Indicators that site functions to provide important habitat
H 1.0. Does the site have the potential to provide habitat?
H 1.1. Structure of plant community: Indicators are Cowardin classes and strata within the Forested class. Check the
Cowardin plant classes in the wetland. Up to 10 patches may be combined for each class to meet the threshold
of ¼ ac or more than 10% of the unit if it is smaller than 2.5 ac. Add the number of structures checked.
____Aquatic bed 4 structures or more: points = 4
____Emergent 3 structures: points = 2
____Scrub-shrub (areas where shrubs have > 30% cover) 2 structures: points = 1
____Forested (areas where trees have > 30% cover) 1 structure: points = 0
If the unit has a Forested class, check if:
____The Forested class has 3 out of 5 strata (canopy, sub-canopy, shrubs, herbaceous, moss/ground-cover)
that each cover 20% within the Forested polygon
H 1.2. Hydroperiods
Check the types of water regimes (hydroperiods) present within the wetland. The water regime has to cover
more than 10% of the wetland or ¼ ac to count (see text for descriptions of hydroperiods).
____Permanently flooded or inundated 4 or more types present: points = 3
____Seasonally flooded or inundated 3 types present: points = 2
____Occasionally flooded or inundated 2 types present: points = 1
____Saturated only 1 type present: points = 0
____Permanently flowing stream or river in, or adjacent to, the wetland
____Seasonally flowing stream in, or adjacent to, the wetland
____Lake Fringe wetland 2 points
____Freshwater tidal wetland 2 points
H 1.3. Richness of plant species
Count the number of plant species in the wetland that cover at least 10 ft2.
Different patches of the same species can be combined to meet the size threshold and you do not have to name
the species. Do not include Eurasian milfoil, reed canarygrass, purple loosestrife, Canadian thistle
If you counted: > 19 species points = 2
5 - 19 species points = 1
< 5 species points = 0
H 1.4. Interspersion of habitats
Decide from the diagrams below whether interspersion among Cowardin plants classes (described in H 1.1), or
the classes and unvegetated areas (can include open water or mudflats) is high, moderate, low, or none. If you
have four or more plant classes or three classes and open water, the rating is always high.
None = 0 points Low = 1 point Moderate = 2 points
All three diagrams
in this row
are HIGH = 3points
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DocuSign Envelope ID: AC93AC96-23C9-407A-AD8C-ABF7C947B8E5
Wetland name or number ______
Wetland Rating System for Western WA: 2014 Update 14
Rating Form – Effective January 1, 2015
H 1.5. Special habitat features:
Check the habitat features that are present in the wetland. The number of checks is the number of points.
____Large, downed, woody debris within the wetland (> 4 in diameter and 6 ft long).
____Standing snags (dbh > 4 in) within the wetland
____Undercut banks are present for at least 6.6 ft (2 m) and/or overhanging plants extends at least 3.3 ft (1 m)
over a stream (or ditch) in, or contiguous with the wetland, for at least 33 ft (10 m)
____Stable steep banks of fine material that might be used by beaver or muskrat for denning (> 30 degree
slope) OR signs of recent beaver activity are present (cut shrubs or trees that have not yet weathered
where wood is exposed)
____At least ¼ ac of thin-stemmed persistent plants or woody branches are present in areas that are
permanently or seasonally inundated (structures for egg-laying by amphibians)
____Invasive plants cover less than 25% of the wetland area in every stratum of plants (see H 1.1 for list of
strata)
Total for H 1 Add the points in the boxes above
Rating of Site Potential If score is: 15-18 = H 7-14 = M 0-6 = L Record the rating on the first page
H 2.0. Does the landscape have the potential to support the habitat functions of the site?
H 2.1. Accessible habitat (include only habitat that directly abuts wetland unit).
Calculate: % undisturbed habitat + [(% moderate and low intensity land uses)/2] = _______%
If total accessible habitat is:
> 1/3 (33.3%) of 1 km Polygon points = 3
20-33% of 1 km Polygon points = 2
10-19% of 1 km Polygon points = 1
< 10% of 1 km Polygon points = 0
H 2.2. Undisturbed habitat in 1 km Polygon around the wetland.
Calculate: % undisturbed habitat + [(% moderate and low intensity land uses)/2] = _______%
Undisturbed habitat > 50% of Polygon points = 3
Undisturbed habitat 10-50% and in 1-3 patches points = 2
Undisturbed habitat 10-50% and > 3 patches points = 1
Undisturbed habitat < 10% of 1 km Polygon points = 0
H 2.3. Land use intensity in 1 km Polygon: If
> 50% of 1 km Polygon is high intensity land use points = (- 2)
≤ 50% of 1 km Polygon is high intensity points = 0
Total for H 2 Add the points in the boxes above
Rating of Landscape Potential If score is: 4-6 = H 1-3 = M < 1 = L Record the rating on the first page
H 3.0. Is the habitat provided by the site valuable to society?
H 3.1. Does the site provide habitat for species valued in laws, regulations, or policies? Choose only the highest score
that applies to the wetland being rated.
Site meets ANY of the following criteria: points = 2
It has 3 or more priority habitats within 100 m (see next page)
It provides habitat for Threatened or Endangered species (any plant or animal on the state or federal lists)
It is mapped as a location for an individual WDFW priority species
It is a Wetland of High Conservation Value as determined by the Department of Natural Resources
It has been categorized as an important habitat site in a local or regional comprehensive plan, in a
Shoreline Master Plan, or in a watershed plan
Site has 1 or 2 priority habitats (listed on next page) within 100 m points = 1
Site does not meet any of the criteria above points = 0
Rating of Value If score is: 2 = H 1 = M 0 = L Record the rating on the first page
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DocuSign Envelope ID: AC93AC96-23C9-407A-AD8C-ABF7C947B8E5
Wetland name or number ______
Wetland Rating System for Western WA: 2014 Update 15
Rating Form – Effective January 1, 2015
WDFW Priority Habitats
Priority habitats listed by WDFW (see complete descriptions of WDFW priority habitats, and the counties in which they can
be found, in: Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. 2008. Priority Habitat and Species List. Olympia, Washington.
177 pp. http://wdfw.wa.gov/publications/00165/wdfw00165.pdf or access the list from here:
http://wdfw.wa.gov/conservation/phs/list/)
Count how many of the following priority habitats are within 330 ft (100 m) of the wetland unit: NOTE: This question is
independent of the land use between the wetland unit and the priority habitat.
Aspen Stands: Pure or mixed stands of aspen greater than 1 ac (0.4 ha).
Biodiversity Areas and Corridors: Areas of habitat that are relatively important to various species of native fish and
wildlife (full descriptions in WDFW PHS report).
Herbaceous Balds: Variable size patches of grass and forbs on shallow soils over bedrock.
Old-growth/Mature forests: Old-growth west of Cascade crest – Stands of at least 2 tree species, forming a multi-
layered canopy with occasional small openings; with at least 8 trees/ac (20 trees/ha ) > 32 in (81 cm) dbh or > 200
years of age. Mature forests – Stands with average diameters exceeding 21 in (53 cm) dbh; crown cover may be less
than 100%; decay, decadence, numbers of snags, and quantity of large downed material is generally less than that
found in old-growth; 80-200 years old west of the Cascade crest.
Oregon White Oak: Woodland stands of pure oak or oak/conifer associations where canopy coverage of the oak
component is important (full descriptions in WDFW PHS report p. 158 – see web link above).
Riparian: The area adjacent to aquatic systems with flowing water that contains elements of both aquatic and
terrestrial ecosystems which mutually influence each other.
Westside Prairies: Herbaceous, non-forested plant communities that can either take the form of a dry prairie or a wet
prairie (full descriptions in WDFW PHS report p. 161 – see web link above).
Instream: The combination of physical, biological, and chemical processes and conditions that interact to provide
functional life history requirements for instream fish and wildlife resources.
Nearshore: Relatively undisturbed nearshore habitats. These include Coastal Nearshore, Open Coast Nearshore, and
Puget Sound Nearshore. (full descriptions of habitats and the definition of relatively undisturbed are in WDFW report –
see web link on previous page).
Caves: A naturally occurring cavity, recess, void, or system of interconnected passages under the earth in soils, rock,
ice, or other geological formations and is large enough to contain a human.
Cliffs: Greater than 25 ft (7.6 m) high and occurring below 5000 ft elevation.
Talus: Homogenous areas of rock rubble ranging in average size 0.5 - 6.5 ft (0.15 - 2.0 m), composed of basalt, andesite,
and/or sedimentary rock, including riprap slides and mine tailings. May be associated with cliffs.
Snags and Logs: Trees are considered snags if they are dead or dying and exhibit sufficient decay characteristics to
enable cavity excavation/use by wildlife. Priority snags have a diameter at breast height of > 20 in (51 cm) in western
Washington and are > 6.5 ft (2 m) in height. Priority logs are > 12 in (30 cm) in diameter at the largest end, and > 20 ft
(6 m) long.
Note: All vegetated wetlands are by definition a priority habitat but are not included in this list because they are addressed
elsewhere.
D
4
4
DocuSign Envelope ID: AC93AC96-23C9-407A-AD8C-ABF7C947B8E5
Wetland name or number ______
Wetland Rating System for Western WA: 2014 Update 16
Rating Form – Effective January 1, 2015
CATEGORIZATION BASED ON SPECIAL CHARACTERISTICS
Wetland Type
Check off any criteria that apply to the wetland. Circle the category when the appropriate criteria are met.
Category
SC 1.0. Estuarine wetlands
Does the wetland meet the following criteria for Estuarine wetlands?
The dominant water regime is tidal,
Vegetated, and
With a salinity greater than 0.5 ppt Yes –Go to SC 1.1 No= Not an estuarine wetland
SC 1.1. Is the wetland within a National Wildlife Refuge, National Park, National Estuary Reserve, Natural Area
Preserve, State Park or Educational, Environmental, or Scientific Reserve designated under WAC 332-30-151?
Yes = Category I No - Go to SC 1.2
Cat. I
SC 1.2. Is the wetland unit at least 1 ac in size and meets at least two of the following three conditions?
The wetland is relatively undisturbed (has no diking, ditching, filling, cultivation, grazing, and has less
than 10% cover of non-native plant species. (If non-native species are Spartina, see page 25)
At least ¾ of the landward edge of the wetland has a 100 ft buffer of shrub, forest, or un-grazed or un-
mowed grassland.
The wetland has at least two of the following features: tidal channels, depressions with open water, or
contiguous freshwater wetlands. Yes = Category I No = Category II
Cat. I
Cat. II
SC 2.0. Wetlands of High Conservation Value (WHCV)
SC 2.1. Has the WA Department of Natural Resources updated their website to include the list of Wetlands of High
Conservation Value? Yes – Go to SC 2.2 No – Go to SC 2.3
SC 2.2. Is the wetland listed on the WDNR database as a Wetland of High Conservation Value?
Yes = Category I No = Not a WHCV
SC 2.3. Is the wetland in a Section/Township/Range that contains a Natural Heritage wetland?
http://www1.dnr.wa.gov/nhp/refdesk/datasearch/wnhpwetlands.pdf
Yes – Contact WNHP/WDNR and go to SC 2.4 No = Not a WHCV
SC 2.4. Has WDNR identified the wetland within the S/T/R as a Wetland of High Conservation Value and listed it on
their website? Yes = Category I No = Not a WHCV
Cat. I
SC 3.0. Bogs
Does the wetland (or any part of the unit) meet both the criteria for soils and vegetation in bogs? Use the key
below. If you answer YES you will still need to rate the wetland based on its functions.
SC 3.1. Does an area within the wetland unit have organic soil horizons, either peats or mucks, that compose 16 in or
more of the first 32 in of the soil profile? Yes – Go to SC 3.3 No – Go to SC 3.2
SC 3.2. Does an area within the wetland unit have organic soils, either peats or mucks, that are less than 16 in deep
over bedrock, or an impermeable hardpan such as clay or volcanic ash, or that are floating on top of a lake or
pond? Yes – Go to SC 3.3 No = Is not a bog
SC 3.3. Does an area with peats or mucks have more than 70% cover of mosses at ground level, AND at least a 30%
cover of plant species listed in Table 4? Yes = Is a Category I bog No – Go to SC 3.4
NOTE: If you are uncertain about the extent of mosses in the understory, you may substitute that criterion by
measuring the pH of the water that seeps into a hole dug at least 16 in deep. If the pH is less than 5.0 and the
plant species in Table 4 are present, the wetland is a bog.
SC 3.4. Is an area with peats or mucks forested (> 30% cover) with Sitka spruce, subalpine fir, western red cedar,
western hemlock, lodgepole pine, quaking aspen, Engelmann spruce, or western white pine, AND any of the
species (or combination of species) listed in Table 4 provide more than 30% of the cover under the canopy?
Yes = Is a Category I bog No = Is not a bog
Cat. I
D
DocuSign Envelope ID: AC93AC96-23C9-407A-AD8C-ABF7C947B8E5
Wetland name or number ______
Wetland Rating System for Western WA: 2014 Update 17
Rating Form – Effective January 1, 2015
SC 4.0. Forested Wetlands
Does the wetland have at least 1 contiguous acre of forest that meets one of these criteria for the WA
Department of Fish and Wildlife’s forests as priority habitats? If you answer YES you will still need to rate
the wetland based on its functions.
Old-growth forests (west of Cascade crest): Stands of at least two tree species, forming a multi-layered
canopy with occasional small openings; with at least 8 trees/ac (20 trees/ha) that are at least 200 years of
age OR have a diameter at breast height (dbh) of 32 in (81 cm) or more.
Mature forests (west of the Cascade Crest): Stands where the largest trees are 80- 200 years old OR the
species that make up the canopy have an average diameter (dbh) exceeding 21 in (53 cm).
Yes = Category I No = Not a forested wetland for this section
Cat. I
SC 5.0. Wetlands in Coastal Lagoons
Does the wetland meet all of the following criteria of a wetland in a coastal lagoon?
The wetland lies in a depression adjacent to marine waters that is wholly or partially separated from
marine waters by sandbanks, gravel banks, shingle, or, less frequently, rocks
The lagoon in which the wetland is located contains ponded water that is saline or brackish (> 0.5 ppt)
during most of the year in at least a portion of the lagoon (needs to be measured near the bottom)
Yes – Go to SC 5.1 No = Not a wetland in a coastal lagoon
SC 5.1. Does the wetland meet all of the following three conditions?
The wetland is relatively undisturbed (has no diking, ditching, filling, cultivation, grazing), and has less
than 20% cover of aggressive, opportunistic plant species (see list of species on p. 100).
At least ¾ of the landward edge of the wetland has a 100 ft buffer of shrub, forest, or un-grazed or un-
mowed grassland.
The wetland is larger than 1/10 ac (4350 ft2)
Yes = Category I No = Category II
Cat. I
Cat. II
SC 6.0. Interdunal Wetlands
Is the wetland west of the 1889 line (also called the Western Boundary of Upland Ownership or WBUO)? If
you answer yes you will still need to rate the wetland based on its habitat functions.
In practical terms that means the following geographic areas:
Long Beach Peninsula: Lands west of SR 103
Grayland-Westport: Lands west of SR 105
Ocean Shores-Copalis: Lands west of SR 115 and SR 109
Yes – Go to SC 6.1 No = not an interdunal wetland for rating
SC 6.1. Is the wetland 1 ac or larger and scores an 8 or 9 for the habitat functions on the form (rates H,H,H or H,H,M
for the three aspects of function)? Yes = Category I No – Go to SC 6.2
SC 6.2. Is the wetland 1 ac or larger, or is it in a mosaic of wetlands that is 1 ac or larger?
Yes = Category II No – Go to SC 6.3
SC 6.3. Is the unit between 0.1 and 1 ac, or is it in a mosaic of wetlands that is between 0.1 and 1 ac?
Yes = Category III No = Category IV
Cat I
Cat. II
Cat. III
Cat. IV
Category of wetland based on Special Characteristics
If you answered No for all types, enter “Not Applicable” on Summary Form
D
N/A
DocuSign Envelope ID: AC93AC96-23C9-407A-AD8C-ABF7C947B8E5
Wetland name or number ______
Wetland Rating System for Western WA: 2014 Update 18
Rating Form – Effective January 1, 2015
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DocuSign Envelope ID: AC93AC96-23C9-407A-AD8C-ABF7C947B8E5
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DocuSign Envelope ID: AC93AC96-23C9-407A-AD8C-ABF7C947B8E5
DocuSign Envelope ID: AC93AC96-23C9-407A-AD8C-ABF7C947B8E5
DocuSign Envelope ID: AC93AC96-23C9-407A-AD8C-ABF7C947B8E5
DocuSign Envelope ID: AC93AC96-23C9-407A-AD8C-ABF7C947B8E5
APPENDIX C
CRITICAL AREAS STUDY MAPS
DocuSign Envelope ID: AC93AC96-23C9-407A-AD8C-ABF7C947B8E5
DocuSign Envelope ID: AC93AC96-23C9-407A-AD8C-ABF7C947B8E5
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Delineation / Mitigation / Restoration / Habitat Creation / Permit Assistance
9505 19th Avenue S.E. Suite 106 Everett,Washington 98208 Phone: (425) 337-3174
Fax: (425) 337-3045
Email: mailbox@wetlandresources .com
Canopy - Lincoln Pl NE
Blue Fern Development, LLCAttn: Evan Mann
11232 120th Ave NE, #204
Kirkland, WA 98033
City of Renton
Critical Areas Study - Existing Conditions
Drawn by: ARProject Number: 18158
Sheet 1/3
Revision 3: 7/14/2021
WETLAND B
CATEGORY IV
50' BUFFER
WETLAND A
CATEGORY IV
50' BUFFER
WETLAND C
CATEGORY IV
50' BUFFER
WETLAND D
CATEGORY IV
50' BUFFER
STREAM S
TYPE NP
75' BUFFER
50'75'50'
50'
EXISTING DITCH
S5
S3
S2
S1
S4
S6 S7
S9
S8
CRITICAL AREAS - EXISTING CONDITIONS
CANOPY - LINCOLN PL NE
PORTION OF SECTION 19, TOWNSHIP 31N, RANGE 6E, W.M.
STEEP SLOPE
AREA 436 SF
STEEP SLOPE
AREA 3,571 SF
STEEP SLOPE
AREA 9,997 SF
Scale 1" = 100'
10050 150 2000
LEGEND
APPROX. STREAM
BOUNDARY
PROPERTY BOUNDARY STEEP SLOPE AREA
STREAM S9S1 DATA SAMPLING POINTS
WETLAND STANDARD BUFFER
DocuSign Envelope ID: AC93AC96-23C9-407A-AD8C-ABF7C947B8E5
DocuSign Envelope ID: AC93AC96-23C9-407A-AD8C-ABF7C947B8E5
Delineation / Mitigation / Restoration / Habitat Creation / Permit Assistance
9505 19th Avenue S.E. Suite 106 Everett,Washington 98208 Phone: (425) 337-3174
Fax: (425) 337-3045
Email: mailbox@wetlandresources .com
Revision 3: 7/14/2021
Canopy - Lincoln Pl NE
Blue Fern Development, LLCAttn: Evan Mann
11232 120th Ave NE, #204
Kirkland, WA 98033
City of Renton
Critical Areas Study - Conceptual Mitigation
Plan
Drawn by: ARProject Number: 18158
Sheet 2/3
CRITICAL AREAS STUDY - CONCEPTUAL MITIGATION PLAN
CANOPY - LINCOLN PL NE
PORTION OF SECTION 19, TOWNSHIP 31N, RANGE 6E, W.M.
SD
SDSD
SD
SDSD
SDSDSD 1098111345637545355504956(OPEN SPACE)TRACT B35363240333837393452474851(OPEN SPACE)TRACT Q2324251826192720(OPEN SPACE)TR. E2128222930(OPEN SPACE)TRACT F(OPEN SPACE)TR. D214117151614423112464544(STORM/ OPEN SPACE)TRACT H(OPEN SPACE)TRACT G(OPEN SPACE)TRACT I(STORM/OPEN SPACE)TRACT A43X
X
X
X
X
X X
X X X
X
X
X
X
X
X
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X X X
X X X X
X X X X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
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X
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X
X
STEEP SLOPE
AREA 436 SF
STEEP SLOPE AREA
9,997 SF
WETLAND A
TO BE FILLED
1,585 SF
APPROXIMATE
BOUNDARY OF
STREAM S
EX. DITCH
INSET 2 SHT 2:
INSET 1 (SHT 2):
Scale 1" = 100'
10050 150 2000
UTILITY EASEMENT
WETLAND B
CATEGORY IV
50' BUFFER
WETLAND C
CATEGORY IV
50' BUFFER
WETLAND D
CATEGORY IV
50' BUFFER
STREAM S
TYPE NP
75' BUFFER
LEGEND
WETLAND ENHANCEMENT
BUFFER IMPACT
BUFFER ENHANCEMENT
BUFFER AVERAGING
(REDUCTION)
BUFFER AVERAGING
(ADDITION)
WETLAND PROPERTY BOUNDARY
STREAM
STANDARD BUFFER
75% OF STANDARD BUFFER
15' BUFFER STRUCTURE
SETBACK
APPROX. STREAM
BOUNDARY
FINAL BUFFER/PERMANENT
FENCE/SIGNSXX
APPROXIMATE
LOCATION OF
TRAIL IMPACT
APPROXIMATE LOCATION
OF TRAIL TO CONNECT TO
CITY OF NEWCASTLES TRAIL
ALONG NE 43RD ST RIGHT-OF-WAY
APPROXIMATE
LOCATION OF
STREAM CROSSING
UNOPENED
RIGHT-OF-WAY
OF 112TH AVE SE
WETLAND IMPACT
RIGHT-OF-WAY
PROPOSED TRAIL
DocuSign Envelope ID: AC93AC96-23C9-407A-AD8C-ABF7C947B8E5
DocuSign Envelope ID: AC93AC96-23C9-407A-AD8C-ABF7C947B8E5
Delineation / Mitigation / Restoration / Habitat Creation / Permit Assistance
9505 19th Avenue S.E. Suite 106 Everett,Washington 98208 Phone: (425) 337-3174
Fax: (425) 337-3045
Email: mailbox@wetlandresources .com
Canopy - Lincoln Pl NE
Blue Fern Development, LLC
Attn: Evan Mann
11232 120th Ave NE, #204Kirkland, WA 98033
City of Renton
Critical Areas Study - Conceptual Mitigation
Plan Insets
Drawn by: ARProject Number: 18158
Sheet 3/3
Revision 3: 7/14/2021
CRITICAL AREAS STUDY - CONCEPTUAL MITIGATION PLAN INSETS
CANOPY - LINCOLN PL NE
PORTION OF SECTION 19, TOWNSHIP 31N, RANGE 6E, W.M.SDSDSD
SD 67(OPEN SPACE)TRACT QX
X
X
X
X
X X
X X X
X
X
X
X 101113545355504956(OPEN SPACE)TRACT B5247485117151614421246454443X
X
X
X
X X X
X X X X
X X X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X X
X
X
WETLAND C
WETLAND D
TO BE ENHANCED
3,100 SF
STREAM S
BUFFER REDUCTION
2,095 SF
BUFFER ADDITION
645 SF
STREAM S
BUFFER REDUCTION
2,635 SF
37.5' BUFFER
ENHANCEMENT
AREA A
6,788 SF
BUFFER ADDITION
1,660 SF
STREAM S
BUFFER ADDITION
2,695 SF
WETLAND B
TO BE ENHANCED
1,765 SF
BUFFER REDUCTION
1,032 SF
BUFFER ADDITION
1,092 SF
BUFFER IMPACT
240 SF
BUFFER
ENHANCEMENT
700 SF 52'50'INSET 2:
INSET 1:
Inset 2 Scale 1" = 60'
6030 90 1200
Inset 1 Scale 1" = 50'
5025 75 1000
15'15'15'
37 .5'97'BUFFER
ENHANCEMENT
1,356 SF
LEGEND
WETLAND ENHANCEMENT
BUFFER IMPACT
BUFFER ENHANCEMENT
BUFFER AVERAGING
(REDUCTION)
BUFFER AVERAGING
(ADDITION)
WETLAND PROPERTY BOUNDARY
STREAM
STANDARD BUFFER
75% OF STANDARD BUFFER
15' BUFFER STRUCTURE
SETBACK
APPROX. STREAM
BOUNDARY
FINAL BUFFER/PERMANENT
FENCE/SIGNSXXWETLAND IMPACT
RIGHT-OF-WAY
WETLAND IMPACT
134 SF
BUFFER IMPACT
274 SF
BUFFER IMPACT
680 SF
BUFFER IMPACT
380 SF
BUFFER IMPACT
401 SF
BUFFER
ENHANCEMENT
AREA B
781 SF
DocuSign Envelope ID: AC93AC96-23C9-407A-AD8C-ABF7C947B8E5
DocuSign Envelope ID: AC93AC96-23C9-407A-AD8C-ABF7C947B8E5
APPENDIX D
SLOPE ANALYSIS FIGURES
DocuSign Envelope ID: AC93AC96-23C9-407A-AD8C-ABF7C947B8E5
DocuSign Envelope ID: AC93AC96-23C9-407A-AD8C-ABF7C947B8E5
Delineation / Mitigation / Restoration / Habitat Creation / Permit Assistance
9505 19th Avenue S.E. Suite 106 Everett,Washington 98208 Phone: (425) 337-3174
Fax: (425) 337-3045
Email: mailbox@wetlandresources .com
Revision 3: 7/14/2021
Canopy - Lincoln Pl NE
Blue Fern Development, LLC
Attn: Evan Mann
11232 120th Ave NE, #204
Kirkland, WA 98033
City of Renton
Slope Analysis Figures
Drawn by: TAProject Number: 18158Sheet 1/1
CRITICAL AREAS STUDY - SLOPE ANALYSIS FIGURES
CANOPY - LINCOLN PL NE
PORTION OF SECTION 19, TOWNSHIP 31N, RANGE 6E, W.M.
LEGEND
<16% SLOPE
16-20% SLOPE
>20% SLOPE
Scale 1" = 60'
6030 90 12001101201301401501601701801902001234567
8
9
WETLAND C
STREAM A
WETLAND C
STREAM A
DocuSign Envelope ID: AC93AC96-23C9-407A-AD8C-ABF7C947B8E5