Article 5
Sec 7.05.001
Policy Statement

A. The purpose of this Article is to protect the health and safety of the community through the preservation of riparian corridors, providing appropriate flood and storm water management systems. The Article is designed to address public safety concerns, such as property damage and loss of life resulting from flooding, and public health concerns, such as the pollution of water resources. This Article emphasizes that the adverse impacts of development on riparian corridors necessitates effective flood control and storm water management practices to protect the community from the loss of healthy ecological systems.

B. The intent of this Article is to establish minimum acceptable requirements for buffers to protect the streams, wetlands and steep slopes of the City; to improve the water quality of water-courses, reservoirs, lakes, and other significant water resources within the City; to reduce impacts to riparian and aquatic ecosystems; and to provide for the environmentally sound use of land resources. Setback restrictions on development provide for the protection of areas to be designated as stream buffers. Stream buffers provide numerous environmental protection and resource management benefits that can include the following:

1. Restoring and maintaining the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of water resources
2. Removing pollutants delivered from urban stormwater runoff
3. Reducing erosion and sediment entering the stream
4. Reducing future flood hazards
5. Stabilizing stream banks
6. Providing infiltration of stormwater runoff
7. Contributing the organic matter that is a source of food and energy for the aquatic ecosystem
8. Providing tree canopy to shade streams and promote desirable aquatic organisms
9. Providing riparian wildlife habitat
10. Creating community and neighborhood amenities by furnishing scenic value and recreational opportunity

C. Stream buffers are an integral part of the City's Storm Water Management Program, as provided for in Chapter 7, Article 8 of this City Code.

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