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Geologically
Hazardous Areas
Frequently
Flooded Areas
Critical
Aquifer Recharge Areas
Wetlands
Fish
& Wildlife Habitat Conservation Areas
Critical
Areas in Island County are environmentally sensitive natural
resources that have been designated for protection and management
in accordance with the requirements of our
State's Growth Management Act (GMA). Protection and management
of these areas is important to the preservation of ecological
functions of our natural environment, as well as the protection
of the public health, safety and welfare of our community.
Geologically
Hazardous Areas are areas that, due to their susceptibility
to erosion, sliding, earthquake, or other geological events,
may expose development to risks that are inconsistent with the
protection of public health and safety. These include landslide
hazard and seismic hazards areas.
Landslide
hazard areas are those areas throughout the County where there
is potential for slope failure due to a combination of factors.
These include any areas, especially bluffs and other areas along
shorelines, that are susceptible to landslides because of any
combination of bedrock, soil, slope, slope aspect, structure,
hydrology, or other physical factors.
Seismic hazard areas are areas that are
subject to a severe risk of earthquake damage as a result of
seismically induced ground shaking, differential settlement,
or soil liquefaction. These include areas where there are surface
deposits of man-made fill or partially decomposed organic materials
at least 5-feet deep and other areas subject to liquefaction.
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| West Beach
during a storm. |
In
contrast to other areas around Puget Sound, Island County does
not have a major river system. Because of this, the County
does not experience the magnitude or frequency of flooding as
some communities do in neighboring counties. Frequently flooded
areas are coastal areas subject to inundation by a depth, velocity,
intensity and frequency of flood waters during major storm events
that are of such a magnitude that they pose a significant risk
to personal property. Development activities proposed within
frequently flooded areas must mitigate for flood hazards and
conform to the provisions of ICC 14.02A – Flood Damage
Prevention.
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An
aquifer is a permeable subsurface soil or rock layer that is
capable of storing, transmitting and supplying a significant
amount of ground water to wells or springs. Critical aquifer
recharge areas are areas that have been identified as having
a critical effect on aquifers used for potable water and as
being highly susceptible to groundwater contamination. Island
County is a sole source aquifer, meaning that potable
water comes only from groundwater. So in this case, a goal of
the CAO is to preserve, protect, and conserve Island County’s
groundwater resources for a wide variety of current and future
uses from contamination.
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Wetlands
are identified by these traits:
Hydrology - saturated soils
for part of the year
Hydric soils - soils that formed under conditions
of saturation, flooding, or ponding,
Vegetation - predominance of water-tolerant/
dependent plants |
Wetlands
are areas that, under normal circumstances, are inundated or
saturated by surface or groundwater frequently enough and long
enough to support vegetation that is adapted for life in saturated
soil conditions. Wetlands generally include swamps (forested),
marshes (non-forested), bogs (peat) and other similar areas,
and may be either freshwater or estuarine (both saltwater/freshwater)
systems.
 Wetlands
perform a variety of beneficial functions, including:
- Habitat diversity
and food chain support for fish and wildlife;
- Erosion control
and shoreline stabilization;
- Maintenance
of stream flows by gradually releasing stored water after
floods and wet seasons;
- Storage of
storm and flood waters;
- Improvement
of water quality through filtration and retention of sediments,
nutrients and contaminants;
- Groundwater
recharge; and
- Education,
scientific study, and aesthetic appreciation.
Frequently
Asked Questions - about our new wetland update
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Habitat
Conservation Areas (HCAs) are protected to:
-
Ensure the continued
existence and enhancement of fish and wildlife populations
by protecting and conserving valuable fish and wildlife
habitat;
-
encourage the
preservation of marine shorelines and natural stream functions
that support fish and wildlife populations;
-
preserve critical
wildlife habitats so that isolated populations of species
are not created and habitat fragmentation is avoided, especially
along riparian corridors;
- and maintain
the natural geographic distribution of fish and wildlife habitat.
Fish
and Wildlife Habitat Conservation Areas include:
 ESA
Listed Species and Habitat –
Listed species are those officially designated
by the State Department of Fish and Wildlife and/or the U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service under the Federal Endangered Species
Act (ESA) as endangered, threatened, sensitive, or candidate.
 Habitats
and Species of Local Importance
– Habitats and species of local importance
include habitat that supports both vulnerable and recreationally
important species.
Kelp
and Eelgrass Beds, Pacific Herring Spawning Areas
–
Eelgrass beds may be found along much of
the shoreline in Island County especially in the many bays and
harbors such as Holmes Harbor, Penn Cove, Dugualla Bay, Livingston
Bay, and Crescent Harbor. Kelp forests and eelgrass beds provide
forage, spawning and refuge areas for a number of marine species,
including waterfowl, crab, snails, shrimp, and the Pacific Herring,
an important local forage fish. Preservation of kelp and eelgrass
beds also serves to protect local beaches from erosion by softening
the force of waves against the shoreline.
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 Surf
Smelt and Sand Lance Spawning Areas
– The nearshore environment in Island
County provides important migratory corridors and habitat for
forage fish spawning. Surf smelt and sand lance are schooling
plankton feeder fish that are preyed on by a variety of animal
species in the marine food web. Both surf smelt and the sand
lance spawn along marine shoreline areas, depositing their eggs
on protected upper intertidal sand or sandy-gravel beaches.
Juvenile fish rear in nearby bays and nearshore areas.
Lakes
& Streams – Lakes
and streams are generally characterized
by surface water that has produced a defined channel or bed.Lakes
and streams essentially
function as a drainage system that transports and stores water,
sediment, and dissolved nutrients across
the surface. They also
provide important habitat elements for fish and wildlife species.
Many factors can affect the function and characteristics of
a lake or stream system, including: precipitation patterns,
geology, topography, and human activities such as dams, dikes,
development, and removal of riparian vegetation.
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