West Eugene Wetland Newsletter
West Eugene Wetland Plan, Industrial Land Study, and Natural Resources Study: A Status Report
After a public hearing on May 21, 1991, the Eugene, Springfield, and Lane County Planning Commissions held two joint work sessions to review oral and written testimony. Staff will report back to the Planning Commissions later this fall on changes to the Wetlands, Natural Resources, and Industrial Lands Studies, and it is anticipated that Planning Commission recommendations on the draft studies will be submitted to the two City Councils and the Board of Commissioners early in 1992.
Once the next public hearing before the City Councils and Board of Commissioners is scheduled, those on the Newsletter mailing list will be notified.
Buffer Issue Status Report
During the public hearing on the West Eugene Wetlands Draft Plan, many comments were received that addressed the provisions for buffer setbacks outlined in the "recommended actions" section. Staff has been working with several of the authors of these comments to come up with a compromise. Some of the comments included that the buffer distances were too wide, the basis for the distances was not sufficiently scientific, the provisions suggested for variances were too burdensome, and enhancement requirements were not stated clearly enough. Staff has developed a new proposal for buffers that will replace what is currently in the draft plan. The new proposal includes smaller buffer distances and more flexibility, but leaves specific standards for enhancement and exceptions to be spelled out in the implementing ordinance.
Wetlands Aquisition Funded by Congress
On October 10th, U.S. Representative Les AuCoin announced that the House- Senate Conference Committee dealing with the Department of Interior Appropriations Bill reached agreement on the City of Eugene's request for $2 million of Land and Water Conservation Funds to purchase wetlands in west Eugene. On October 18th, U.S. Senator Mark Hatfield announced that the $2 million was approved by the Conference Committee. While the bill has not passed the House and Senate and been signed by President Bush, it appears that these funds will be appropriated to the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). The $2 million is the first increment in Eugene's request for federal assistance over three years to buy land or easements to protect significant wetlands and further the goals of the West Eugene Wetlands Plan. The funds will also allow purchase of areas where wetland enhance ment and restoration can occur and areas where public works functions can be met (for example, created storm water treatment wetlands and flood control basins).
With the help of Congressman AuCoin and U.S. Representative Peter DeFazio and with support from Senator Hatfield, a West Eugene wetland system will be protected, enhanced, restored and created to provide multiple benefits. Thanks to the lobbying efforts by the Eugene City Council, it will be possible to implement the recommendations of the draft West Eugene Wetland Plan. Special thanks to everyone who supported this community-wide lobbying effort.
In anticipation of receiving this $2 million, the City, County, L-COG, and The Nature Conservancy began working closely with the Eugene BLM office. Several steps have been identified by BLM in order to prepare for the acquisition program. The first step is to prepare an acquisition plan with criteria to assist in establishing purchasing priorities. This plan will rely heavily on the draft Wetland Plan, but will contain more detail. It is not anticipated that funds for acquisition will be available until after the first of the year. Daniel Bowman, policy analyst, has been identified as BLM manager for the west Eugene wetlands project, 683-6600.
To date, the cooperative effort among federal, local and non-profit organization representatives has been exceptional. As acquisition and management continue in west Eugene, the community can expect the partnerships formed to date to continue.
Other City of Eugene Wetland Lobbying Efforts
In addition to the $2 million in Land and Water Conservation Funds, the City Council requested $100,000 from the Environmental Protection Agency to package the West Eugene Wetland Plan and its process as a model for other communities. That budget amount was approved in committee earlier this year. A third request by the Council for $5 million from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) to make modifications to the lower Amazon Channel to improve the stream course, wetlands, wildlife habitat, water quality and flood control did not get funded, but with the help of Congressmen AuCoin and DeFazio and Senator Hatfield, $150,000 was budgeted for the Corps to begin study of the City's proposal.
Stormwater Quality Planning
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency regulations implementing the federal Clean Water Act affect the City of Eugene. Because the City has a population greater than 100,000, it must prepare a stormwater quality management plan to meet specific permitting requirements by 1993. The Plan will be submitted to the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality. Other major industrial and institutional contributors to stormwater pollution must also obtain permits or participate with the City in developing solutions to degradation caused by urban runoff. The City's plan includes a study of the existing storm system and development of a management plan dealing with identified problems. The type of pollutants entering the storm sewer system are often called non-point source pollutants, because they originate from diffuse sources such as roof tops, driveways, parking lots, storage areas, and streets and roads. Unlike the sanitary sewer system which flows to a central treatment point, the storm sewer system discharges into local channels, strearns, and rivers.
The City Public Works Department has contracted with Woodward-Clyde Consultants and L-COG for assistance in preparing its plan. The U.S. Geological Survey is conducting a study of sediments in the Amazon and A-3 Channels to determine pollutant profiles and concentrations. The City and Woodward-Clyde have conducted dry-weather sampling of storm sewer outfalls throughout the City to determine the presence of illicit connections. This winter the City will conduct storm event sampling to further quantify the levels and causes of pollution.
The long-term solutions to the EPA and DEQ requirements are likely to include a public education effort, working with individual major polluters and using "soft engineering" or "biological engineering" systems such a grassy swales or created shallow wetlands to treat certain pollutants. The City may consider new design standards for development to require pretreatment of runoff before it is discharged into the storm sewer system and may develop an inventory of best management practices for private and public activities contribut ing to stormwater pollution. For example, controls on runoff from construction sites will be required to reduce erosion and sedimentation to the stormwater system. The stormwater system's relationship to open streams and wetlands is an important aspect of this entire planning effort. The goal will be to create a stormwater system that is compatible with the multi-use objectives of the community.
Source: Scanned from original document.
