CHAPTER SEVEN

FUTURE STUDIES

While much information about the west Eugene wetlands has been developed, it is recognized that additional study and research is warranted. This chapter recommends completion of some of those studies which are underway in early 1991 and recommends undertaking other future studies.

As conditions change and as the Plan matures, adjustments will be needed. The impacts of other studies on the area and the impacts of this Plan on other studies may have implications which require future actions. This chapter proposes a method for monitoring some of those activities which may require amendment or update of this Plan.

While many measures are in place, some additional measures are needed to implement the Plan's goals and policies. This chapter summarizes those needed actions.

GOALS, POLICIES, RECOMMENDED ACTIONS

GOALS

7.1 Keep the Plan current with changing natural and human conditions and community attitudes by conducting on-going studies.

7.2 Make other community plans, regulations, policies and operating procedures consistent with the West Eugene Wetlands Plan.

7.3 Implement the recommended goals, policies and actions of the West Eugene Wetlands Plan.

POLICIES

7.1 Conduct further studies to:

· Improve wetland system management for multiple uses.

· Determine techniques for managing the system in an efficient and beneficial manner.

· Compensate for changes caused by the West Eugene Wetlands Plan.

· Develop wetland restoration, enhancement, and creation techniques specific to the Eugene area.

7.2 Conduct the water quality and wetlands studies outlined in the 1990 EPA grant to the Lane Council of Governments:

· Analyze habitat and hydrology

· Evaluate identified potential restoration and mitigation sites

· Review detailed restoration and mitigation design and construction plans

· Design wetlands created to treat stormwater pollution

· Study the feasibility of a wetlands interpretive center in west Eugene for possible use as:

· visitor center

· educational center

· office for a nonprofit organization

· offices for university & graduate student wetland research

· wetland library

· meeting room and auditorium

7.3 Conduct studies and expand the west Eugene inventories to other sections of the City:

· Delineations and functions and values analysis outside the urban growth boundary

· Inventory and evaluate wetlands and hydric soil areas throughout the greater Eugene urban region with top priority areas being the Highway 99 and Eugene Airport regions and the north Willakenzie neighborhood

· Apply the wildlife habitat rating methodology to selected number of agriculturally disturbed wetlands, including WEWSAS, Highway 99, and Willakenzie areas

· Expand the historic wetlands inventory methodology

7.4 The City shall promote and encourage scientific research of benefit to the west Eugene wetlands system.

7.5 The City shall consider up-stream improvements and studies that would benefit water quality and quantity in the Amazon drainage system.

7.6 The City shall continue to work with the Oregon Division of State Lands, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency toward obtaining a regional wetland permit to be administered by the City.

7.7 The City, in cooperation with one or more nonprofit organizations, shall develop and maintain a computerized wetlands data base linked to the regional geographic data system. The data base should cover the broader wetlands study area. The data base should include information on: wetland boundaries, soils, plants, animals, hydrology, topography, permit activities, and land use. Establishing compatibility among local, state, and federal data bases should be explored.

7.8 The City of Eugene shall monitor changes to laws, regulations, definitions, and inventories and shall assess implications for the West Eugene Wetlands Plan.

7.9 The Plan shall be amended periodically to adjust to changing conditions.

7.10 The Plan shall be updated every seven to ten years and no later than the planning cycle required by the City of Eugene's Land Conservation and Development Commission Periodic Review schedule and DSL's requirements for comprehensive wetland plans.

7.11 The City shall prepare a map showing acceptable and prohibited fill disposal sites in the WEWSAS area.

7.12 Within 12 months of adoption of this Plan, the City of Eugene shall:

1. Conduct on-site inventories of the off-site wetlands identified with asterisks on Map 3 in the Plan. The City will work with owners to obtain permission to conduct those on-site inventories. The owners will be given opportunity to be present during the inventories and to present information to the City.

2. Report back to the County and affected property owners the results of the on-site inventories, and initiate requests for amendment of the Plan to include those properties which the on-site inventories indicate should be added to or deleted from the Plan.

RECOMMENDED ACTIONS

7.1 The City should consider developing local regulations controlling fill and drainage activities in wetland areas of the City.

7.2 The City of Eugene should participate in the study of water diversion (via pipe or canal) from the Willamette River and Eugene Millrace to the Amazon to benefit water quality, aquatic habitat, wetlands hydrology and enhancement, flood control and recreation.

7.3 The City of Eugene should consider Amazon Creek improvements that would restore more
natural stream conditions in or near Amazon Park, Westmoreland Park/Patterson School, and the Lane County Fairgrounds.

7.4 The City of Eugene, in cooperation with the U.S. Soil Conservation Service and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, should study the feasibility of water control structures on the concrete-lined section of Amazon Creek between Jefferson Street and East 19th Avenue to improve water quality and quantity.

7.5 The City of Eugene should consider applying for water rights and/or claims to in-stream flow in the Willow Creek and Amazon basins for wetlands and water quality purposes.

7.6 The City of Eugene should consider regulations to require on-site stormwater detention, and other pre-treatment of storm run-off prior to discharge into storm systems or any wetland or wetland receiving stream in west Eugene in conjunction with the city-wide stormwater quality study.

7.7 The City of Eugene should consider stronger regulations in west Eugene to control erosion and sedimentation resulting from construction activities, and to require re-vegetation and rehabilitation of disturbed areas following construction.

7.8 The City of Eugene should address the effects of new information and changing conditions on the Plan and the wetlands system in the annual report.

7.9 The City should apply the stormwater planning policy of the Metropolitan Natural Resources Special Study (policy 6) to the west Eugene study area.

7.10 New wetlands information or site inventories shall be incorporated into the Plan when they become available.

7.11 Once agreement is reached by state and federal agencies on a uniform method for defining and determining wetlands:

a. Local elected officials will be notified within 30 days; -~
b. The Plan's inventory will be re-evaluated within 30 months; and
c. Plan amendments will be considered depending on the outcome of the inventory -
re-evaluation.