Spokane Municipal Code

Title 17E Environmental Standards

Chapter 17E.070 Wetlands Protection

Section 17E.070.040 Regulated Activities

1. No regulated activity shall be undertaken in a wetland or wetland buffer without submitting a Critical Areas Checklist as provided in SMC 17 E.070.080 and first obtaining required permits.  Uses and activities in wetlands are only allowed as conditional use permits or planned unit developments under the provisions of the City zoning code.  Unless expressly provided otherwise in this chapter, regulated activities include any of the following activities which occur in a wetland or its buffer:

   1. removal, excavation, grading, or dredging of soil, sand, gravel or other similar materials;

   2. dumping, discharging, or filling with any material;

   3. draining, flooding, or disturbing of the water level or water table;

   4. driving of pilings;

   5. placing of obstructions;

   6. construction, reconstruction, demolition, or expansion of any structure;

   7. the removal, cutting, clearing, harvesting, shading, or intentional burning of any vegetation, including removal of snags or dead or downed woody material, or planting of non-native vegetation that would degrade the wetland; provided that these activities are not part of a forest practice governed under chapter 76.09 RCW and its rules;

   8. activities that restrict, increase, or otherwise measurably alter the hydrology, water quality, or limnology of the wetland;

   9. construction or installation of streets or utilities; and

   10. construction and maintenance of pervious trails.

2. Where a regulated activity is proposed which would be partly inside and partly outside a wetland or wetland buffer, a wetland permit shall be required for the entire regulated activity.  The standards of this chapter shall apply only to that part of the regulated activity which occurs inside the delineated boundaries of a wetland or a wetland buffer; provided, all activities that occur outside a wetland or wetland buffer are prohibited from negatively impacting a wetland or wetland buffer.

Date Passed: Monday, June 19, 2017

Effective Date: Sunday, July 30, 2017

ORD C35508 Section 4