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9.26 Wetland Protection <br /> <br />9.26.01 <br /> <br />Findings and Intent <br /> <br /> Subd. 1. The City has determined that wetlands are a defining character of <br />~ts natural heritage worthy of its protection and preservation. Wetlands serve to maintain <br />water quality by filtering water that is discharged into ground water aquifers and by <br />retaining inorganic sediments, toxicants, and nutrients~They also retain and reduce the <br /> <br />discharge of phosphorus and transform nutrients <br />thereby, protecting downstream water bodies from <br />Wetlands also store runoff and reduce the velo, <br />In addition, some wetlands receive <br />support more stable biological communiti~ <br />levels tend to be more stable. <br /> <br />~tnic to organic forms, <br />and contamination. <br />of peak flood stages. <br />wetlands tend to <br />water <br /> <br /> Subd. 2. Wetland vegetation alsOii~dt!(e~ energy currents, <br />and other erosive forces and serves to prevent t~?!~ ~feline areas. In addition, <br />aquatic vegetation provides food, shelter, and sPecial ~a~ ;i~ildlife. All of these <br />wetland characteristics provide valuable ed~h~iBn and recr~itl ced. <br /> <br /> Subd. 3. The City <br />degree that they have been <br />their floral diversity, quality of <br />response to storms, the extent to <br />their relative value in protecting Water <br />is necessary and beneficial to classify <br />purposes of establishing relative levels of' <br /> <br />vary significantly in the <br />great variations in <br />degree of fluctuation in <br />altered or eroded, and <br />the City has determined that it <br />n their functions and values for <br /> <br /> Subd. 4. The City re, cognizes that a substantial amount of wetland <br />degradation results from sedim~htation and nutrient loading related to construction <br />projects. Therefore, the City finds' it.lnecessary to require extraordinary measures to <br />prevent such construction~related degradation. <br /> <br /> Subd. 5. In addition to having regulations that affect the physical impacts <br />within wetland areas the City also finds that it is necessary to regulate the use of lands <br />surrounding wetlands. Based on currently available scientific literature, buffer strips are <br />necessary and beneficial to maintaining the health of wetlands. These strips of land <br />surrounding wetlands protect their shorelines from erosion, while serving to filter <br />sediment, chemicals and other nutrients before storm water discharges into the wetland. <br />Buffer strips are also beneficial in providing habitat for wildlife. <br /> <br /> Subd. 6. This Section hereby incorporates by reference the Wetlands <br />Conservation Act of 1991 (WCA) and any future amendments adopted by the legislature. <br />Any activities exempted from the provisions of the WCA are also exempted from the <br />requirements of this Section, insofar as they relate to the WCA (Minn. Rules 8420.0122). <br /> <br />Page <br /> <br /> <br />