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4 <br /> DIVISION 3. <br /> BUFFER AREAS <br /> Sec. 78-1605 Wetland Buffer Areas. <br /> (a) This subsection establishes requirements for wetland buffer areas around <br /> protected wetlands. Buffer areas are ilecessary and beneficial to maintain the health of <br /> wetlancis. Buffer axeas protect the edge of wetlands from erosion while filtering sediment, <br /> chemicals and other nutrients from runoff that drains into wetlands. Buffer areas can <br /> improve the biological diversity and health of a wetlanci enviroiuiient while reducing the <br /> adverse impacts of human activities. <br /> (b) Buffer areas regulated by tlus section are areas of vegetative cover that are <br /> upland of the wetland edge, and that occur in a natural condition or through restoration. <br /> Buffer areas coiisist of slu�ubbery and trees, native grasses and/or forbs that are not <br /> mowed, fertilized or manicured in any manner. Mowing, fertilizing, manicuring, or <br /> vegetation removal within a buffer area is not allowed unless the City has issued a permit <br /> for such activity in conjunction with an approved btiffer maiiageinent plan. <br /> (1) Acceptable buffer areas shall have the following qualities: <br /> a. A continuous dense layer of perennial grasses that have been <br /> uncultivated or unbroken for at least ten(10) consecutive years, or <br /> b. An over story of trees and/or shrubs with at least eighty (80%) <br /> percent canopy closure that have been tuicultivated or tuibroken for <br /> at least ten(10) consecutive years, or <br /> c. A mixture of the plant coiruliunities described in a. and b. above, <br /> which have been uncultivated or unbroken for at least ten(10) <br /> consecutive years. <br /> (2) Unacceptable buffer areas have the following qualities, including but not <br /> limited to: <br /> a. Undesirable plant species (including but not limited to reed canary <br /> grass, common buckthorn,purple loosestrife, leafy spurge and <br /> noxious weeds), or <br /> b. Lacking a layer of orga�iic thatch or duff, or <br /> c. Topography which tends to charuielize the flow of surface runoff, <br /> or <br /> d. Is characteristically unlikely to retain nutrients and sediment. <br /> 5 <br />