Wetland delineation1/5/2016 What is wetland delineation
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Specializing in Wetland Delineation & Mitigation for Single Family Developments
› What is a Wetland Delineation?
If you need to have a Wetland Review conducted on your property, a consultantfirst will need to make a site visit to gather field information about the
topography, soils and vegetation. From this, a determination can be made as towhether or not any wetlands are present.
If all three wetland characteristics are present in an area, the boundary of thewetland will need to be established and then marked or delineated with flagging
or flagged stakes.
Next the flagging points will need to be located in the field relative to the property
boundaries so that a Wetland Delineation Map or Site Plan can be created. Thewetland points can be mapped by either using a compass and measuring tape
(single family properties only), GPS mapping equipment or a surveyor.
Following this, the wetland will be rated using the Department of Ecology Rating
System (2004 version http://www.ecy.wa.gov/pubs/0406025.pdf, 1993 versionhttp://www.ecy.wa.gov/pubs/93074.pdf) to determine the quality of the wetland.Depending on which category it is, either a I (high class), II, III or IV (low class),
and/or what the water quality and habitat values are, this will determine thewidth of the required protective buffer. All development must stay outside of this
buffer unless mitigation measures are offered.
The last thing a consultant will do is put together a Wetland Delineation Report, to
be presented to city or county officials, that summarizes the site, the scientificfield data, the wetland and its rating, and which includes a detailed site map of
the existing and proposed development, and any wetlands and their associatedbuffers.
Pacific Willow Consulting Inc, P.O. Box 596, Rainier, Washington 98576
Phone: (360) 4587463