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38 <br /> <br />(f) Vegetative Buffer Requirements. <br />1) Purpose. A vegetative buffer is a strip of undisturbed native vegetation, either original or <br />reestablished, that borders streams, rivers, ponds and lakes, wetlands, and seeps. These <br />vegetative buffer areas filter excess sediment, provide flood protection, reduce storm runoff <br />velocities, protect channel bank areas from scour and erosion, stabilize riverbanks and provide <br />shade to cool adjacent water. <br />2) A vegetative buffer shall be required along all blue line perennial watercourses and wetlands <br />as identified on the most recent version of a 1:100,000 or 1:24,000 USGS quadrangle map <br />based on the following requirements. <br />a) In areas where a floodway profile has been computed as part of an approved flood study, <br />the buffer zone shall be the width of the floodway plus at least fifty (50) feet perpendicular <br />from the edge of the floodway on each side of the waterway. <br />b) In areas where a floodway profile has not been computed as part of an approved flood <br />study, the buffer zone shall be at least fifty (50) feet perpendicular from the top of bank on <br />each side of the waterway. <br />c) When a delineated wetland extends beyond the edge of the required buffer zone width, <br />the buffer zone shall be adjusted so that the buffer zone consists of the extent of the <br />delineated wetland plus twenty five (25) feet extending perpendicular beyond the wetland <br />edge. <br />d) When a vegetative buffer is established parallel to contour lines along the watercourse <br />and at increased widths for areas of steeper slopes, the minimum required width may be <br />reduced in accordance with the following table: <br />Buffer Reduction Table <br />Percent Slope Width of Buffer <br />0%-2% Subtract 15 feet <br />3%-5% Subtract 10 feet <br />6%-10% Subtract 5 feet <br />11%-14% No change <br />3) The vegetative buffer zone width shall be adjusted to meet the following requirements: <br />a) All vegetative buffer zone widths shall be adjusted if the following slopes are present <br />within the vegetative buffer zone: <br />Slope-Width Table <br />Percent Slope Width of Buffer <br />15%-17% Add 10 feet <br />18%-20% Add 30 feet <br />21%-23% Add 50 feet <br />24%-25% Add 60 feet