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26 I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I VI. MISSISSIPPI CRITICAL RIVER AREA The designation of the Mississippi Critical Rivers Area recognizes the Mississippi River Corridor as a multiple purpose resource. The EQS's Interim Development Regulations state; Purposes. The purposes of the Critical Area designation are: a To protect and preserve a unique and valuable state and regional resource for the benefit of the health, safety and welfare of the citizens for the state, region, and nation; b. To prevent and mitigate irreversible damage to this state, regional, and national resource; c. To preserve and enhance its natural, aesthetic, cultural, and historical value for the public use; d To protect and preserve the river as an essential element in the national, state and regional transportation, sewer and water and recreational systems; and r e. To protect and preserve the biological and ecological functions of the corridor. Management of the multi-purpose corridor recognizes that the corridor should be managed by: a Maintaining the river channel for transportation and providing and maintaining barging and fleeting areas in appropriate locations consistent with the character of the river and the river front. b. Conserving the scenic, environmental, recreational, mineral, economic, cultural, and historic resources and functions of the river corridor. c. Providing for the continuation and the development of a variety of urban uses, including industrial and commercial uses, and residential, where appropriate, within the river corridor. d. Utilizing certain reaches of the river as a source of water supply and as a receiving stream for properly treated sewage and industrial waste effluents. Special regulations pertain to the Mississippi Critical River Area shown on Figure 1 (existing zoning). The City has been limiting development in the Critical Rivers area in accordance with the interim regulations administered by the Environmental Quality Board (EQS). The development restrictions outline appropriate densities of development, tree clearing limitations, fill limitations, building setbacks and other measures. There are different restrictions for the urban service area and rural areas. Ordinance #88-11 addresses the key elements and provides for the following lot sizes and setback restrictions in the urban area. Ordinance #89-33, adopted December 19, 1989, further requires minimum residential lot sizes of five acres within the Critical Rivers Area which are outside the MUSA. Review of the development proposals within the Critical River's Area will continue to be reviewed under the EQS's Interim Development Regulations until the City's final Critical Area Plan is approved. The City will be seeking approvals for the Critical Areas Plan after approval of this comprehensive plan amendment.