§ 10-4.383. Wetlands within the Bradfordville Study Area.

(a)

Jurisdictional determination. The beneficial functioning of wetlands as areas for the natural storage and filtration of surface water runoff shall be protected, and shall be enhanced where functional degradation has occurred. Final determination of a wetland area, if in question, shall be made by the county administrator or designee based on a site inspection and the documentation of findings pursuant to the definition of a wetland in Chapter 62-340, F.A.C.

(b)

Boundary determination. Determination of the actual extent of a wetland area on a development site shall be made by a qualified professional retained by the applicant, based on soils analysis, botanical review surveying, or other standard engineering or environmental analysis practices, and subject to review and approval by the county administrator or designee.

(c)

Protection of topography and hydrocycle. Existing natural topography shall be maintained within wetland areas. No alterations shall be made within a wetland area to the natural fluctuation of water levels or flows unless such alterations are part of an approved stormwater detention or retention system, or unless such alterations are necessary for an approved utility system. In either case, such alterations are limited to wetlands which have been determined to be degraded to the extent that their ecological functions have been significantly and detrimentally degraded. As a condition of the use of such a wetland, the design of the overall wetland alteration shall result in the substantial re-establishment of the natural functioning of the undisturbed portion of the wetland as described in the 1988 DER Florida Development Manual Guide to Sound Land and Water Management, or its successor publication. Wetlands which have been cleared as the result of silviculture operations, wetlands which have been subjected to animal activity during agricultural operations, wetlands which have been disturbed through activities which are a violation of the Leon County Code, and as determined by the county administrator or designee, wetlands which may have their beneficial level of functioning restored through natural processes, will not be considered degraded for the purposes of this subsection. If none of these conditions apply, the county administrator or designee shall determine a wetland to be significantly and detrimentally degraded if at least four of the five following conditions apply:

(1)

No evidence of utilization by wildlife (mammals, aquatic birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish, and invertebrates) whose life cycles are dependent on wetland communities.

(2)

Vegetation if present is not indicative of a natural community type recognized in published scientific literature.

(3)

Greater than 75 percent of the vegetation is comprised of upland plant species or undesirable exotic species.

(4)

Evidence of draining, ditching, dredging, filling, or sediment deposition that has negatively impacted the hydrology of the feature.

(5)

Physical quality of soil is reduced as evidenced by pore size, rupture resistance, and structure.

(Ord. No. 07-20, § 2, 7-10-07)