A.

Erosion and sedimentation from land-disturbing activities detrimentally affects the public health, safety and general welfare in the following ways:

1.

Increases the risk of flooding because streams and stormwater facilities that receive excessive sediment have a reduced capacity to convey water;

2.

Damages fisheries when siltation clogs spawning gravel and when excessive turbidity impairs the feeding ability of aquatic animals;

3.

Increases public expenditures for maintenance of stormwater facilities that receive excessive amounts of sediment;

4.

Damages adjacent properties, including public rights-of-way, when sediment is deposited on these properties;

5.

Increases public expenditures for cleaning and maintaining roadway surfaces that receive excessive sediment;

6.

Promotes transport of nutrients to lakes causing algal blooms and oxygen depletion; and

7.

Causes detrimental water quality problems to Lake River, Gee Creek and water quality impacts to the Columbia River.

B.

Erosion control is important to prevent harm to the public health or safety.

C.

Erosion can best be controlled through the implementation of best management practices (BMPs).

(Ord. 840 § 2, 2004).

It is the purpose of this chapter to prevent harm to the health or safety of the public, and to promote the public health, safety and general welfare by providing for the minimization of erosion from land development and land-disturbing activities, in order to:

A.

Prevent erosion and sedimentation of creeks, streams, ponds, lakes, wetlands, and other water bodies;

B.

Prevent damage to property from increased erosion rates and volumes;

C.

Protect the quality of land for recreation, fishing and other beneficial use;

D.

Establish sound development policies which protect and preserve the city's land resources;

E.

Protect roads and rights-of-way from damage due to inadequately controlled erosion;

F.

Preserve and enhance the aesthetic quality of land resources; and

G.

Protect the health, safety and welfare of the inhabitants of the city.

(Ord. 840 § 3, 2004).

A.

Provisions of this chapter apply to land-disturbing activities, as outlined in the 2005 Stormwater Management Manual for Western Washington (Western Washington Manual), Volume I, Chapter 2, Section 2.5 and Volume II. Where provisions of this chapter or other city codes and ordinances conflict with the Western Washington Manual, this chapter and city codes and ordinances will govern.

B.

Commercial agriculture and forest practices regulated under Title 222 WAC are exempt from the provisions of this chapter.

(Ord. 840 § 4, 2004).

(Ord. No. 1253, § 2(Exh. A), 12-7-2017)

For the purpose of this chapter, the following definitions shall apply:

"Best management practices" (BMP) means physical, structural and managerial practices that when used singly or in combination prevent or reduce erosion.

"BMP manual" means the 2005 Stormwater Management Manual for Western Washington (Western Washington Manual), Volume II, Construction Stormwater Pollution Prevention.

"Director" means the city of Ridgefield, public works director or his or her designee.

"Land-disturbing activity" means any activity that results in a change in the existing soil cover (both vegetative and nonvegetative) or existing soil topography. Land-disturbing activities include, but are not limited to demolition, reconstruction, construction, clearing, grading, filling and excavation.

"New development" means the following activities: land-disturbing activities, structural development, including construction, installation or expansion of a building or other structure; creation of impervious surfaces; and subdivision, short plat and binding site plans, as defined in RCW 58.17.020.

"Redevelopment" means, on an already developed site, the creation or addition of impervious surfaces, structural development including construction, installation or expansion of a building or other structure, and/or replacement of impervious surfaces that are not part of a routine maintenance activity; and land-disturbing activities associated with structural or impervious redevelopment.

(Ord. 840 § 5, 2004).

(Ord. No. 1253, § 2(Exh. A), 12-7-2017)

A.

Meeting the requirements of the BMP manual is the responsibility of the property owner on whose parcel the land-disturbing activity occurs and the person undertaking such activities. In addition, if the land-disturbing activity involves a city-issued permit, the permit holder is also responsible for meeting the requirements of this chapter.

B.

If the BMPs applied to a site are insufficient to prevent sediment from reaching water bodies, adjacent properties, or public right-of-way, then the director shall require additional BMPs.

(Ord. 840 § 6, 2004).

A.

Construction Access Route. Construction vehicle access shall be limited to one route. Additional accesses must be approved by the city engineer. Access points shall be stabilized with quarry spall or crushed rock to minimize the tracking of sediment, mud or debris onto public roads.

B.

Sediment Removal from Roadways. If sediment, mud or debris is transported onto a road surface, the roads shall be cleaned thoroughly at the end of each workday, or more often if necessary. Significant soil deposits shall be removed from roads by shoveling and sweeping and be transported to a controlled sediment disposal area. Street washing is not allowed unless approved by the director and only after sediment is removed in the manner described in this subsection.

C.

Stabilization of Denuded Areas. All exposed soils shall be stabilized, in a timely manner, by suitable application of BMPs, including but not limited to sod or other vegetation, plastic covering, mulching or crushed aggregate on areas to be paved. All exposed and disturbed soils shall be stabilized by the appropriate BMP. During the period from October 1st to April 30th no soil shall be exposed for more than two days. From May 1st to October 1st no soil shall be exposed more than seven days. All BMPs shall be selected, designed and maintained in accordance with the BMP manual.

D.

Stabilization Requirement for Sensitive Areas. During the period from October 15th to April 30th no soil on slopes greater than twenty-five percent or within one hundred feet of a stream or wetland shall be exposed. Such areas shall be stabilized by vegetation and shall be seeded no later than October 1st. If the area is proposed to be paved the area may be stabilized with crushed aggregate.

E.

Maximum Disturbed Area. During the period from October 15th to April 30th maximum disturbed acreage is as follows. Undisturbed areas shall be seeded no later than October 1st.

1.

Developments with ten acres or fewer net developable area shall have no more than two and one-half disturbed acres.

2.

Developments with greater than ten acres net developable area shall have no more than five disturbed acres, or twenty-five percent of the net developable area, whichever is fewer.

3.

The public works director may approve additional disturbed area in writing following a full inspection of all BMPs. Any such approval shall be revocable at the director's or designees' discretion. Multiple phases of a development are considered one development unless phases are owned by separate entities and are under construction by different contractors.

F.

Protection of Water Bodies and Adjacent Properties. Water bodies and adjacent properties shall be protected from sediment deposition by appropriate use of vegetative filter strips, sediment barriers or filters, dikes or mulching, or by a combination of these measures and other appropriate BMPs.

G.

Sediment Traps. Prior to leaving a site, stormwater runoff shall pass through a sediment pond, sediment trap, or other approved BMP system designed to treat the two-year, twenty-four-hour storm. Sediment traps are restricted to sites less than one acre.

H.

Storm Drain Inlet Protection. All storm drain inlets shall be protected so that stormwater runoff shall not enter the conveyance system without first being filtered or otherwise treated to remove sediment.

I.

Underground Utility Construction. The construction of underground utility lines shall be subject to the following requirements:

1.

The length of trench opened at one time shall be minimized.

2.

Where consistent with safety and space considerations, excavated material shall be placed on the uphill side of trenches.

3.

Trench dewatering devices shall discharge into a sediment trap or sediment pond.

4.

BMPs shall be used to control erosion during and after construction.

5.

Underground utility construction work located in roadways shall follow the same guidelines as outlined in subsection (B) of this section, sediment removal from roadways.

6.

BMPs damaged during construction shall be replaced or repaired.

J.

Maintenance. All erosion and sediment control BMPs shall be regularly inspected and maintained by the property owner or permit holder to ensure continued performance of their intended function.

K.

Financial Liability. Performance bonding, or other appropriate financial instruments, shall be required for all development, redevelopment projects that include the creation or addition of five thousand square feet, or greater, of new impervious surface area, and/or land-disturbing activity of one acre or greater.

(Ord. 840 § 6, 2004).

(Ord. No. 1375, § 2(Exh. A), 10-13-2022)

A.

An erosion control plan shall be submitted and approved by the director prior to clearing, grading or construction for any of the following projects requiring a city permit or approval and any land-disturbing activity:

1.

Subdivisions;

2.

Short subdivisions;

3.

Planned unit developments;

4.

Site plan approvals;

5.

Grading permits;

6.

Clearing and grading;

7.

Fill and excavation;

8.

Demolition projects;

9.

Street cuts;

10.

Any application that the director determines poses a high risk of erosion impacting adjacent properties, water bodies, or public rights-of-way, and those described in Volume I, Chapter 2, Section 2.4 of the Western Washington Manual.

B.

The erosion control plan shall be designed and stamped by a civil engineer, licensed in the state of Washington, and in conformance with the BMP manual. The erosion control plan shall be submitted and approved by the director prior to issuance of city permits or approval involving a land-disturbing activity.

C.

If the erosion control plan is deemed insufficient to prevent sediment from reaching water bodies, adjacent properties, or public rights-of-way, then the director is authorized to require additional modifications to the erosion control plan.

(Ord. 840 § 7, 2004).

(Ord. No. 1253, § 2(Exh. A), 12-7-2017)

Each violation by any person, corporation, or other business or nonprofit entity in connection with the approved permit, of the construction shall result in enforcement action pursuant to Chapter 18.395 and RMC Title 20.

(Ord. 840 § 8, 2004; Ord. No. 1416, § 1(Att.), 2-22-2024)