CITY OF SHORELINE Shoreline Inventory and Characterization Prepared for: December 2008, Revised November 2009 and April 2010 City of Shoreline 17544 Midvale Avenue N. Shoreline, WA 98133 City of Shoreline – Shoreline Inventory and Characterization TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Background and Purpose ................................................................................................ 1 1.2 Shoreline Jurisdiction and Study Area Boundary ........................................................... 1 1.3 Shoreline Planning Segments ......................................................................................... 2 2. CURRENT REGULATORY FRAMEWORK SUMMARY ................................................ 17 2.1 City of Shoreline Regulations ....................................................................................... 17 2.1.1 Current Shoreline Management Act Compliance ................................................. 17 2.1.2 Comprehensive Plan, Zoning and Other City Regulations ................................... 18 2.2 State and Federal Regulations ....................................................................................... 18 3. WATERSHED AND DRAINAGE BASINS ........................................................................ 19 4. LAND USE PATTERNS ...................................................................................................... 20 4.1 Historical Land Use ...................................................................................................... 20 4.2 Existing Land Use ......................................................................................................... 21 4.2.1 Residential Land Use ............................................................................................ 21 4.2.2 Commercial and Industrial Land Uses .................................................................. 22 4.2.3 Private and Public Utility Land Uses .................................................................... 22 4.2.4 Parks, Open Space and Vacant Land Uses ........................................................... 22 4.3 Comprehensive Plan / Zoning Designations ................................................................. 23 4.3.1 Comprehensive Plan ............................................................................................. 23 4.3.2 Zoning Designations ............................................................................................. 23 4.4 Impervious Surface ....................................................................................................... 24 4.5 Existing and Planned Public Access Sites .................................................................... 26 4.6 Roads and Transportation Facilities .............................................................................. 27 4.7 Wastewater and Stormwater Utilities ........................................................................... 28 4.8 Historical/Cultural Resources ....................................................................................... 29 4.9 Site Contamination ........................................................................................................ 30 5. NEARSHORE PHYSICAL CHARACTERIZATION ......................................................... 30 5.1 Nearshore Processes ...................................................................................................... 30 Source: Johannessen et al. 2005 ................................................................................................ 33 5.2 Geologic Units .............................................................................................................. 33 5.3 Soils............................................................................................................................... 33 5.4 Seismic Hazard Areas ................................................................................................... 34 5.5 Landslide Hazard Areas ................................................................................................ 34 5.6 Erosion and Sedimentation Hazard Areas .................................................................... 35 5.7 Aquifer Recharge Areas ................................................................................................ 36 5.8 Streams .......................................................................................................................... 36 5.9 Flood Hazard Areas ...................................................................................................... 38 5.10 Shoreline Modifications ................................................................................................ 38 5.10.1 Shoreline Armoring .............................................................................................. 39 5.10.2 Docks, Piers, and Over-Water Structures ............................................................. 40 6. NEARSHORE BIOLOGICAL CHARACTERIZATION .................................................... 40 6.1 Wetlands ....................................................................................................................... 40 6.2 Critical Fish and Wildlife Areas ................................................................................... 40 6.2.1 Marine Riparian Zones ......................................................................................... 41 6.2.2 Banks and Bluffs ................................................................................................... 41 November 2009 Page i City of Shoreline - Shoreline Inventory and Characterization 6.2.3 Beaches and Backshore ......................................................................................... 41 6.2.4 Flats ....................................................................................................................... 42 6.2.5 Eelgrass Meadows ................................................................................................ 43 6.2.6 Kelp Forests .......................................................................................................... 44 6.2.7 Priority Habitats and Species ................................................................................ 44 7. ASSESSMENT OF SHORELINE FUNCTIONS AND OPPORTUNITY AREAS ............ 48 7.1 Shoreline Ecological Functions .................................................................................... 48 7.2 Programmatic Restoration Opportunities ..................................................................... 53 7.3 Site-Specific Restoration Opportunities ....................................................................... 54 7.3.1 Segment A ............................................................................................................. 56 7.3.2 Segment B ............................................................................................................. 57 7.3.3 Segment C ............................................................................................................. 57 7.3.4 Segment D ............................................................................................................. 57 7.3.5 Segment E ............................................................................................................. 58 8. DATA GAPS ......................................................................................................................... 58 9. SUMMARY 59 10. BIBLIOGRAPHY ................................................................................................................. 62 List of Tables Table 1. Shoreline Planning Segments .......................................................................................... 3 Table 2. Percentages of Existing, Allowed and Planned Land Use and Impervious Surfaces by Segment in Puget Sound Shoreline Planning Area ............................................................... 25 Table 3. Shoreline Sediment Sources and Mobility ..................................................................... 32 Table 4. Current and Historic Beach Feeding Sources/Erosion and Accretion Areas in City of Shoreline (Drift Cell SN-3) ................................................................................................... 33 Table 5. ShoreZone Classification by Segment (WDNR, 2001) ................................................. 42 Table 6. Forage Fish Species and Presence by Shoreline Segment ............................................. 46 Table 7. Summary of Ecological Functions .................................................................................. 49 Table 8. Summary of Shoreline Functions and Programmatic Restoration Opportunities .......... 53 Table 9. Summary of Site-Specific Opportunities and Projects for Public Access and Restoration ............................................................................................................................................... 55 Table 10. Shoreline Segment Summary Matrix, City of Shoreline ............................................. 61 List of Maps Map 1. Shoreline Planning Area Map 1A. Shoreline Planning Area Map 1B. Shoreline Planning Area Map 1C. Shoreline Planning Area Map 1D. Shoreline Planning Area Map 1E. Shoreline Planning Area List of Appendices APPENDIX A: Washington Department of Natural Resources (WDNR) ShoreZone Inventory