› When do you need a Wetland Consultant?

1. When you are planning new development on an existing property and you have any of the following features on site:

• Low elevation ground such as a flood plain, depression or plateau area that collects surface or subsurface drainage from adjacent hillsides and is either seasonally ponded or tends to be soggy, especially in the spring.
• The presence of poorly drained organic or clayey type soils, typically black, gray or mottled brown in color, that inhibit water infiltration.
• Any swamp-like vegetation such as sedges, rushes, cattail, skunk cabbage, hard hack or willow.
• Other wetland adapted species such as alder, ash, cedar, cottonwood, salmonberry, reed canary grass, velvet grass or meadow foxtail among others.
• Any drainage ditches, swales, creeks, streams, rivers, seasonal ponds or large water bodies.

2. If you are planning to purchase a property and want to ensure that there is adequate space available for your proposed buildings, driveway, well and septic system with reserve. Remember, it is buyer beware. Have a Wetland Consultant conduct a reconnaissance of the property to identify any wetland areas and their associated buffer widths. Wetlands, streams and their associated protective buffers are called Critical Areas and cannot be developed without approved mitigation measures.

3. The county or city of jurisdiction requires a Wetland Review for your development to proceed due to the proximity of hydric soils (based on Washington State Soil Survey maps) or indicated wetlands (from various Wetland Inventories).