The McLean County Board hereby finds that vegetated buffers
adjacent to stream systems provide environmental protection and resource
management benefits that include the following:
A. Restoring and maintaining the chemical, physical and biological integrity
of water resources.
B. Removing pollutants delivered from urban stormwater.
C. Reducing erosion and sediment entering streams.
D. Stabilizing stream banks.
E. Providing infiltration of stormwater runoff.
F. Maintaining base flow of streams.
G. Contributing to the organic matter that is a source of food and energy
for the aquatic ecosystem.
H. Providing tree canopy to shade streams and promote desirable aquatic
organisms.
I. Providing riparian wildlife habitat.
J. Furnishing scenic value and recreational opportunity.
The McLean County Board therefore declares that the purpose
of this article is to protect, establish and maintain vegetation in
buffer and wetland areas by implementing specifications for the establishment,
protection and maintenance of vegetation along all stream systems
within its jurisdictional authority. Furthermore, it is the intent
of the McLean County Board to establish minimal, acceptable requirements
for the design of buffers to protect the streams, wetlands, and floodplains
of the County; to protect the water quality of watercourses, reservoirs,
lakes and other significant water resources within the County; to
protect the County's riparian and aquatic ecosystems; and to
provide for the environmentally sound use of the County's land
resources.
When used in this article, the following terms shall have the
meanings indicated:
ACTIVE CHANNEL
The area of the stream channel that is subject to frequent
flows (approximately once per 1 1/2 years) and that includes
the portion of the channel below the floodplain and the floodway.
BASE FLOOD
The flood having a one-percent probability of being equaled
or exceeded in any given year. The base flood is also known as the
"one-hundred-year flood."
BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES
Conservation practices or management measures that control
soil loss and reduce water quality degradation caused by nutrients,
animal wastes, toxins, sediment and runoff; also identified as BMPs.
BUFFER
A vegetated area, including trees, shrubs, and herbaceous
vegetation, that exists or is established to protect a stream system,
lake or reservoir. Alteration of this area is strictly limited.
COUNTY
Unincorporated areas of the County.
DEVELOPMENT
A.
Any human-made alteration of property for any purpose including
but not limited to clearing, stripping, grading, filling and construction
activities.
B.
Subdivision or the division of a tract or parcel of land into
two or more parcels.
C.
The combination of any two or more lots, tracts, or parcels
of property for any purpose.
D.
The preparation of land for any of the above purposes.
FLOODPLAIN
Those areas that are subject to inundation by the base flood
and identified as such on the most recent Flood Insurance Rate Map
of McLean County, Illinois and incorporated areas prepared by the
Federal Emergency Management Agency, a copy of which is on file in
the Department of Building and Zoning.
FLOODWAY
That portion of the floodplain identified as such on the
most recent Flood Insurance Rate Map for McLean County, Illinois and
incorporated areas prepared by the Federal Emergency Management Agency,
a copy of which is on file in the Department of Building and Zoning.
NONPOINT SOURCE POLLUTION
Pollution that is generated by land use activities (rather
than pollution from an identifiable or discrete source) and is conveyed
to waterways through natural processes such as rainfall, stormwater
runoff, or groundwater seepage rather than direct discharges.
NONTIDAL WETLAND
Property not influenced by tidal fluctuations that is inundated
or saturated by surface water or groundwater at a frequency and duration
sufficient to support, and that under normal circumstances does support,
a prevalence of vegetation typically adapted for life in saturated
soil conditions.
ONE-HUNDRED-YEAR FLOODPLAIN
Those lands subject to inundation by the one-hundred-year
flood or the flood having a one-percent probability of being equaled
or exceeded in any given year.
PERSON
Any individual, firm or corporation, public or private, the
State of Illinois and its agencies or political subdivisions, and
the United States of America, its agencies and instrumentalities,
and any agent, servant, officer or employee of any of the foregoing.
POLLUTION
Any contamination or alteration of the physical, chemical
or biological properties of any waters that will render the waters
harmful or detrimental to:
A.
Public health, safety or welfare.
B.
Domestic, commercial, industrial, agricultural, recreational,
or other legitimate beneficial uses.
C.
Livestock, wild animals or birds.
D.
Fish or other aquatic life.
PROTECTED PROPERTY
Any property in the unincorporated areas of the County:
A.
Designated as a stream system on the stream buffer map attached
hereto as Appendix A, together with the buffer areas defined in this
article based on stream order; and
B.
Any stream system located and identified by the Director of
Building and Zoning based on field observation or on information supplied
to the Director, together with the buffer areas defined in this article
based on stream order.
STREAM CHANNEL
Part of a watercourse either naturally or artificially created
that contains an intermittent or perennial base flow of groundwater
origin. Base flows of groundwater origin can be distinguished by any
of the following physical indicators:
A.
Hydrophytic vegetation, hydric soil, or other hydrologic indicators
in the area(s) where groundwater enters the stream channel in the
vicinity of the headwaters, channel bed, or channel banks.
B.
Flowing water not directly related to a storm event.
C.
Historical records of a local high groundwater table, such as
well and stream gauge records.
STREAM ORDER
A classification system for streams based on a stream hierarchy.
The smaller the stream, the lower its numerical classification. For
example, a first-order stream does not have tributaries and normally
originates from springs and/or seeps.
STREAMS
Perennial and intermittent watercourses identified through
site inspection and the McLean County Stream Order Map.
STREAM SYSTEM
A stream channel together with one or both of the following:
A.
One-hundred-year floodplain.
B.
Hydrologically related nontidal wetland.
WATER POLLUTION HAZARD
A land use or activity that causes a relatively high risk
of potential water pollution.
A buffer for a stream system shall extend along both sides of
a stream and include a minimum distance adjacent to wetlands, floodplains
and slopes. The buffer width shall be adjusted to include contiguous
sensitive areas, such as steep slopes or erodible soils, where development
or disturbance may adversely affect water quality, streams, wetlands,
or other water bodies.
A. The buffer shall begin on each side of the stream bank of the active
channel and floodway in accordance with the following minimum criteria.
Figure 1: Stream Order (Source: Schueler, 1995)
|
(1) The required width for all buffers (i.e., the base width) shall be
in the areas described below:
|
Stream Order
|
Required Buffer Width
|
---|
|
1
|
10 feet from the center line on each side
|
|
2
|
25 feet from the center line on each side
|
|
3
|
50 feet on each side of the stream bank of the active channel
and floodway
|
|
4
|
100 feet on each side of the stream bank of the active channel
and floodway
|
|
5
|
100 feet on each side of the stream bank of the active channel
and floodway
|
|
6
|
100 feet on each side of the stream bank of the active channel
and floodway
|
(2) Steep slopes. The buffer width shall be modified if steep slopes
are within close proximity to the stream and drain into the stream
system. In those cases, the buffer width shall be adjusted by either
Method A or Method B below.
|
Method A
|
---|
|
Percent Slope
|
To Total Width of Buffer
|
---|
|
15% to 17%
|
Add 10 feet
|
|
18% to 20%
|
Add 30 feet
|
|
21% to 23%
|
Add 50 feet
|
|
24% to 25%
|
Add 60 feet
|
|
Method B
Type of Stream Use
|
---|
|
Percent Slope
|
Water Contact/ Recreational Use
|
Sensitive Stream Habitat
|
---|
|
0 to 14%
|
No change
|
Add 50 feet
|
|
15% to 25%
|
Add 25 feet
|
Add 75 feet
|
|
Greater than 25%
|
Add 50 feet
|
Add 100 feet
|
(3) One-hundred-year floodplain. Where the floodplain extends beyond
the minimum buffer width as specified above, then buffers shall be
extended to encompass the entire one-hundred-year floodplain and a
zone with a minimum width of 25 feet beyond the edge of the floodplain.
(4) Wetlands or critical areas. When wetlands or critical areas extend
beyond the edge of the required buffer width, the buffer shall be
adjusted so that the buffer consists of the extent of the wetlands
plus a twenty-five-foot zone extending beyond the wetlands edge.
(5) The buffer width may be reduced at some points as long as the average
width of the buffer meets the minimum requirement. This averaging
of the buffer may be used to allow for the presence of an existing
structure or to recover a lost lot (due to these regulations), as
long as the streamside zone (Zone 1) is not disturbed by the reduction
and no new structures are built within the one-hundred-year floodplain.
The Director of Building and Zoning may require the submission of
additional information to evaluate the proposed width reduction. Such
reduction shall only be allowed where no feasible alternative exists.
B. Water pollution hazards. The following land uses and/or activities
are designated as potential water pollution hazards and must be set
back from any stream or water body by the distance indicated by the
width of the buffer or the width indicated below, whichever is greater:
(1) Storage of hazardous substances: 150 feet.
(2) Aboveground or underground petroleum storage facilities: 150 feet.
(3) Drain fields for sewage disposal and treatment systems are not allowed
in the stream buffer if the stream buffer is in a floodplain.
(4) Solid waste landfills or junkyards: 300 feet.
(5) Surface discharges from a wastewater treatment plant are not allowed
in the stream buffer.
(6) Land application biosolids: 200 feet.
C. The stream buffer shall be composed of three distinct zones, with
each zone having its own set of allowable uses and vegetative targets
as specified in this article.
Figure 2: Three Zone Buffer System (Adapted from Welsch,
1991)
|
(1) Zone 1, Streamside Zone.
(a)
The Streamside Zone protects the physical and ecological integrity
of the stream ecosystem.
(b)
The Streamside Zone begins at the edge of the stream bank of
the active channel and extends 25 feet or the width of the stream
buffer from the top of the bank, whichever is less.
(c)
Allowable uses within this zone are highly restricted to:
[1]
Flood control structures.
[4]
Road crossings, where permitted.
(d)
The target for the Streamside Zone is undisturbed natural vegetation.
(2) Zone 2, Middle Zone.
(a)
The Middle Zone protects key components of the stream and provides
distance between upland development and the Streamside Zone.
(b)
The Middle Zone begins at the outer edge of the Streamside Zone and extends a minimum of 50 feet or to the middle of the stream buffer, whichever is less. Additional buffer width is specified in Subsection
A(1).
(c)
Allowable uses within the Middle Zone are restricted to:
[2]
Stormwater management facilities with the approval of the County.
[3]
Recreational uses as approved by the County.
[4]
Limited tree clearing with approval from the County.
(d)
Targets mature native vegetation adapted to the region.
(3) Zone 3, Outer Zone.
(a)
The Outer Zone provides a traditional greenspace between development
and sensitive Zone 1 and 2 areas, preventing encroachment of impervious
cover into the buffer, and filters runoff from residential and commercial
development.
(b)
The Outer Zone begins at the outward edge of Zone 2 and provides
a minimum width of 25 feet between Zone 2 and the nearest permanent
structure, or the width of the stream buffer, whichever is less.
(c)
The Outer Zone restricts permanent structures or impervious
cover with the exception of paths.
(d)
The Outer Zone encourages the planting of native vegetation
to increase the total width of the buffer.
D. Stream restoration.
(1) In cases in which the Director of Building and Zoning determines
that a waterway is significantly degraded, he/she may authorize or
require stream restoration rather than protection of the waterway
in its existing condition. Significant degradation shall be determined
by the presence of any of the following:
(a)
Erosion present to the degree that waterway banks are unstable.
(b)
Sedimentation present to the degree that aquatic plant life
is restricted.
(d)
Bank scour caused by high water velocity.
(e)
Channelization, the straightening and/or deepening of streams.
(f)
Presence of nonnative, invasive plant species.
(2) Stream restoration is the process of returning a waterway and its
surrounding ecosystem to a close approximation of its condition prior
to disturbance. Stream restoration may include activities such as
remeandering a channelized waterway, revegetating a waterway with
appropriate native plantings, and regrading a waterway to mitigate
scouring and erosion problems.
E. Stream buffer areas may grow into their natural vegetative state,
but methods to enhance the vegetation may be required when deemed
necessary by the Director of Building and Zoning to ensure the preservation
and propagation of the buffer area. Buffer areas may also be enhanced
through reforestation or other growth techniques as a form of mitigation
for achieving buffer preservation requirements. The Director of Building
and Zoning may require planting of vegetation from the following stream
buffer plant list.
(1) The
following plants are acceptable for replanting in the buffer area.
(a)
Trees.
[1] Flood-tolerant native Northern Illinois trees.
|
Common Name
|
Botanical Name
|
---|
|
River birch
|
Betula nigra
|
|
Hophornbeam
|
Carpus caroliniana
|
|
Green ash
|
Fraxinus pennsylvanica
|
|
American larch
|
Larix laricina
|
|
Red mulberry
|
Morus rubra
|
|
Sycamore
|
Platinus occidentalis
|
|
Eastern cottonwood
|
Populus deltoids
|
|
Swamp white oak
|
Quercus bicolor
|
|
Black willow
|
Salix nigra
|
|
Bald cypress
|
Taxodium distichum
|
|
White cedar
|
Thuja occidentalis
|
|
American elm
|
Ulmus americana
|
[2] Flood-tolerant native Northern Illinois shrubs.
|
Common Name
|
Botanical Name
|
---|
|
False indigo
|
Amorpha fruticosa
|
|
Red chokeberry
|
Aronia arbutifolia
|
|
Buttonbush
|
Cephalanthus occidentalis
|
|
Silky dogwood
|
Cornus amomum
|
|
Gray dogwood
|
Cornus racemosa
|
|
Red-osier dogwood
|
Cornus serica
|
|
Cockspur hawthorn
|
Crataegus crus-galli
|
|
Spicebush
|
Lindera benzoin
|
|
Ninebark
|
Physocarpus opulifilius
|
|
American black currant
|
Ribes americanum
|
|
Wild gooseberry
|
Ribes missouriense
|
|
Swamp rose
|
Rosa palustris
|
|
Peachleaf willow
|
Salix amygdaloides
|
|
Pussy willow
|
Salix discolor
|
|
Sandbar willow
|
Salix interior
|
|
Elderberry
|
Ambucus canadensis
|
|
Meadowsweet
|
Spirea alba
|
|
Arrowwood viburnum
|
Viburnum dentatum
|
|
Nannyberry
|
Viburnum lentago
|
|
Highbush cranberry
|
Viburnum trilobum
|
[3] Flood-tolerant native Northern Illinois vines.
|
Common Name
|
Botanical Name
|
---|
|
Groundnut
|
Apios americana
|
|
Virgin's bower
|
Clematis virginiana
|
|
Riverbank grape
|
Vitis riparia
|
(b)
Seed mixes: detention basin seed mix (for saturated soils in
a wetlands or pond with highly fluctuating water levels and poor water
quality associated with urban stormwater wetlands and ponds).
(c)
Permanent grasses/sedges.
|
Common Name
|
Botanical Name
|
---|
|
Brown fox sedge
|
Carex vulpinoidea
|
|
Barnyard grass
|
Echinochloa crus-galli
|
|
Blunt spike rush
|
Eleicharis obtusa
|
|
Fowl manna grass
|
Glyceria striata
|
|
Common rush
|
Juncus effuses
|
|
Torrey's rush
|
Juncus torreyi
|
|
Rice cut grass
|
Leersia oryzoides
|
|
Switch grass
|
Panicum virgatum
|
|
Great Bulrush (softstem)
|
Scirpus validus creber
|
(d)
Temporary cover.
|
Common Name
|
Botanical Name
|
---|
|
Redtop
|
Agrostis alba
|
|
Seed oats
|
Avena sativa
|
|
Annual rye
|
Lolium multiflorum
|
[1]
Forbs and shrubs.
|
Common Name
|
Botanical Name
|
---|
|
Wingstem
|
Actinomeris alternifolia
|
|
Common water plantain
|
Alisma subcordatum
|
|
Swamp milkweed
|
Asclepias incarnata
|
|
Bidens, various
|
Bidens sp.
|
|
Buttonbush
|
Cephalanthus occidentalis
|
|
Rosemallow, various
|
Hibiscus sp.
|
|
Monkey flower
|
Mimulus ringens
|
|
Ditch stonecrop
|
Penthorum sedoides
|
|
Smartweed
|
Polygonum pennsylvanicum
|
|
Common arrowhead
|
Sagittaria latifolia
|
|
Wetland edge seed mix (for sites with stable saturated soil
conditions and good water quality)
|
|
[2] Permanent grasses/sedges.
|
Common Name
|
Botanical Name
|
---|
|
Bottlebrush sedge
|
Carex lurida
|
|
Sedge, various
|
Carex sp.
|
|
Brown fox sedge
|
Carex vulpinoidea
|
|
Great spike rush
|
Eleocharis palustris major
|
|
Canada wild rye
|
Elymus canadensis
|
|
Fowl manna grass
|
Glyceria striata
|
|
Rice cut grass
|
Leersia oryzoides
|
|
Dark green rush
|
Scirpus atrovirens
|
|
Chairmaker's rush
|
Scirpus pungens
|
|
Great bulrush (softstem)
|
Scirpus validus creber
|
(e)
Temporary cover.
|
Common Name
|
Botanical Name
|
---|
|
Seed oats
|
Avena sativa
|
|
Annual rye
|
Lolium multiflorum
|
|
Wingstem
|
Actinomeris alternifolia
|
|
Slender false foxglove
|
Agalinis tenuifolia
|
|
Common water plantain
|
Alisma subcordatum
|
|
Swamp milkweed
|
Asclepias incarnate
|
|
Panicled aster
|
Aster simplex
|
|
Bidens, various
|
Bidens sp.
|
|
Wild senna
|
Cassia hebecarpa
|
|
Common boneset
|
Eupatorium perfoliatum
|
|
Sneezeweed
|
Helenium autumnale
|
|
Blue flag iris
|
Iris virginica shrevei
|
|
Great blue lobelia
|
Lobelia siphilitica
|
|
Seedbox
|
Ludwigia alternifolia
|
|
Monkey flower
|
Mimulus ringens
|
|
Wild golden glow
|
Rudbeckia laciniata
|
|
Common arrowhead
|
Sagittaria latifolia
|
|
Blue vervain
|
Verbena hastate
|
|
Ironweed, various
|
Vernonia sp.
|
[1]
Forbs: wet-to-mesic prairie seed mix (for sites with medium
to wet soils)
[2] Permanent grasses/sedges.
|
Common Name
|
Botanical Name
|
---|
|
Big bluestem grass
|
Andropogon gerardii
|
|
Blue joint grass
|
Calamagrostis canadensis
|
|
Canada wild rye
|
Elymus canadensis
|
|
Switch grass
|
Panicum virgatum
|
|
Indian grass
|
Sorghastrum nutans
|
|
Prairie cord grass
|
Spartina pectinata
|
(f)
Temporary cover.
|
Common Name
|
Botanical Name
|
---|
|
Redtop
|
Agrostis alba
|
|
Seed oats
|
Avena sativa
|
|
Annual rye
|
Lolium multiflorum
|
|
Timothy
|
Phleum pretense
|
[1]
Forbs.
|
Common Name
|
Botanical Name
|
---|
|
Heath aster
|
Aster ericoides
|
|
New England aster
|
Aster novae-angliae
|
|
White wild indigo
|
Baptisia leucantha
|
|
Partridge pea
|
Cassia fasciculata
|
|
Tall coreopsis
|
Coreopsis tripteris
|
|
Illinois tick trefoil
|
Desmodium illinoense
|
|
Rattlesnake master
|
Eryngium yuccifolium
|
|
Bottle gentian
|
Gentiana andrewsii
|
|
Sneezeweed
|
Helenium autumnale
|
|
Sawtooth sunflower
|
Helianthus grosseserratus
|
|
Roundheaded bush clover
|
Lespedeza capitata
|
|
Marsh blazing star
|
Liatris spicata
|
|
Prairie bergamot
|
Monarda fistulosa
|
|
Wild quinine
|
Parthenium integrifolium
|
|
False dragonhead
|
Physostegia virginianum
|
|
Common mountain mint
|
Pycnanthemum virginianum
|
|
Yellow coneflower
|
Ratidbida pinnata
|
|
Black-eyed Susan
|
Rudbeckia hirta
|
|
Wild golden glow
|
Rudbeckia laciniata
|
|
Sweet black-eyed Susan
|
Rudbeckia subtomentosa
|
|
Compass plant
|
Silphium laciniatum
|
|
Cup plant
|
Silphium perfoliatum
|
|
Prairie dock
|
Silphium terebinthinaceum
|
|
Early goldenrod
|
Solidago juncea
|
|
Stiff goldenrod
|
Solidago rigida
|
|
Wrinkled goldenrod
|
Solidago rugosa
|
|
Spider-wort
|
Tradescantia ohioensis
|
|
Hairy tall ironweed
|
Vernonia altissima taeniotriche
|
|
Culver's root
|
Veronicastrum virginianum
|
|
Golden Alexanders
|
Zizia aurea
|
(2) Invasive species. The following plants are exceptionally invasive
and will damage native ecosystems. Most of these plants are on the
Illinois Banned Species List and are illegal to buy, sell, or plant
in the State of Illinois.
|
Common Name
|
Botanical Name
|
---|
|
Tree of Heaven
|
Ailanthus altissima
|
|
Autumn olive
|
Eleagnus embellatus
|
|
Tartarian honeysuckle
|
Lonicera tartarica
|
|
Glossy buckthorn
|
Rhamnus frangula
|
|
Common buckthorn
|
Rhamnus cathartica
|
|
Saw-toothed buckthorn
|
Rhamnus arguta
|
|
Dahurain buckthorn
|
Rhamnus davurica
|
|
Japanese Buckthorn
|
Rhamnus japonica
|
|
Chinese buckthorn
|
Rhamnus utilis
|
|
Kudzu
|
Pueraria lobata
|
|
Round-leaved bittersweet
|
Celastrus orbiculatus
|
|
Japanese honeysuckle
|
Lonicera japonica
|
|
Multiflora rose
|
Rosa multiflora
|
|
Purple loosestrife
|
Lythrum salicaria
|
The buffer, including wetlands and floodplains, shall be managed to enhance and maximize the unique value of these resources. Buffers shall be vegetated either in their natural state or using appropriate nursery stock vegetation as noted in §
317-46E. Soil disturbance in buffer areas shall be minimized. Every attempt should be made to reduce or eliminate cut and fill activities, topsoil respread, and soil compaction. Maintaining existing and/or development of buffer areas in naturally occurring soils is preferred. Where necessary, invasive species removal may be allowed prior to establishment of native vegetation. Management includes specific limitations on alteration of the natural conditions of these resources.
A. The following practices and activities are prohibited within Zones
1 and 2 of the buffer unless prior approval is obtained from the Director
of Building and Zoning:
(1) Clearing of existing vegetation.
(2) Soil disturbance by grading, stripping or other practices.
(4) Drainage by ditching, underdrains or other systems.
(5) Use, storage, or application of pesticides, except for spot spraying
of noxious weeds or nonnative species consistent with recommendations
of the County; and the approved use of pesticides to mitigate or prevent
risks to the public's health applied by an Illinois Department
of Agriculture licensed pesticide applicator/operator or persons certified
by the Illinois Department of Agriculture for special applications.
(6) Housing, grazing, or other maintenance of livestock.
(7) Storage or operation of motorized vehicles, except for maintenance
and emergency use approved by the Director of Building and Zoning.
B. The following structures, practices, and activities are permitted
in the buffer with specific design or maintenance features, subject
to review and approval of the Director of Building and Zoning:
(1) Roads, bridges, paths, and utilities.
(a)
An analysis needs to be conducted to ensure that no economically
feasible alternative to the proposed road, bridge, path, or utility
is available.
(b)
The right-of-way shall be the minimum width needed to allow
for maintenance access and installation.
(c)
The angle of the crossing shall be perpendicular to the stream
or buffer in order to minimize clearing requirements.
(d)
A minimum number of road crossings shall be used, with no more
than one crossing for every 1,000 lineal feet of buffer for stream
classification 3 or greater.
(2) Stormwater management, structures and facilities.
(a)
An analysis needs to be conducted to ensure that no economically
feasible alternative to the proposed stormwater management facility
is available and that a project is either necessary for flood control
or significantly improves the water quality or habitat in the stream.
(b)
In new developments, which include Stream Order 3 or higher,
on-site and nonstructural alternatives will be preferred over larger
facilities within the stream buffer.
(c)
When constructing stormwater management facilities, the area
cleared will be limited to the area required for construction and
adequate maintenance access as outlined in the most recent edition
of the Illinois Urban Stormwater Manual published by the United States
Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service.
(d)
Material dredged or otherwise removed for a stormwater management
facility shall be stored outside the buffer.
(3) Stream restoration projects.
(4) Water quality monitoring and stream gauging.
(5) Individual trees within the buffer that are in danger of falling,
causing damage to dwellings or other structures, or causing blockage
of the stream may be removed.
(6) Other timber-cutting techniques approved by the County may be undertaken
within the buffer under the advice and guidance of IDNR or a horticulturalist
if necessary to preserve the buffer from extensive pest infestation,
disease infestation, or threat from fire.
C. All preliminary plans and final plats shall clearly:
(1) Show the extent of any buffer on the subject property.
(3) Provide a note stating that disturbance and use of the buffer area
is subject to restrictions pursuant to steam buffer requirements.
(4) Provide an ingress/egress easement to the stream buffer area in favor
of the County for stream buffer inspection purposes.
D. The Director of Building and Zoning shall inspect the buffer annually
and immediately following severe storms for evidence of sedimentation
deposition, erosion, or concentrated flow channels and recommend to
the buffer owner corrective actions to ensure the integrity and function
of the buffer.
E. Buffer areas may be allowed to grow into their vegetative target
state naturally, but methods to enhance the successional process,
such as active restoration, may be used when approved by the Director
of Building and Zoning to ensure the preservation and propagation
of the buffer area. Forest buffer areas may also be enhanced through
reforestation or other growth techniques as a form of mitigation for
achieving buffer preservation requirements.
F. Permanent boundary markers, in the form of signage approved by the
County, shall be installed prior to the beginning of construction.
Signs shall be placed at the outer edge of the middle zone.
Where the standards and management requirements of this stream
buffer article are in conflict with other laws, regulations and policies
regarding streams, steep slopes, erodible soils, wetlands, floodplains,
timber harvesting, land disturbance activities, or other environmental
protective measures, the more restrictive code or regulation shall
apply.