Is it time to contact PDS? You decide if it’s ok to call a fish bearing stream a ditch which can be dredged and destroyed.
Mr. Lambier:
I carefully reviewed your response dated September 26, 2022 and find your conclusion in this matter without foundation or merit. What you believe you inspected is not a drainage ditch. You are aware or should be aware that what you call a ditch is in fact a fish bearing stream. We sent you confirmation of this by report dated June 8, 2022. Also, you are aware or should be aware that your database and others confirm that this is a fish bearing stream – not a ditch. You know or should know that this fish bearing stream intersects with Silver Lake Creek (fish bearing) which connects Silver Lake to Ruggs Lake and runs all the way into Lake Washington.
In your reference to what you call a drainage ditch you admit that it was “cleaned out” which is activity that is allowed by as you call it “maintenance”. You are clearly mistaken. Surely you will agree that you can’t dredge a fish bearing creek without a permit and that no permit was issued here. When you inspected what is truly a fish bearing stream it may have escaped notice that you were standing on a wetland. Isn’t it true that you need a permit to dig on a wetland? It appears no permit was issued for that purpose either.
Your office was not only provided with a proof positive report from Adopt a Stream establishing what you call a ditch as a fish bearing stream. You were also supplied with videos and pictures of the dredging activity that occurred of that stream. It’s plainly evident that streambed materials were dug out of it and put to the side for well over 100’ which also destroyed the vegetation. In declaring this a ditch you never acknowledged receipt or review of these materials.
From the tone and content of your response is it neither you or the senior environmental planner that accompanied you at the time of your inspection considered the facts and circumstances of what you thought you were doing.
The preservation of fish bearing streams, wetlands and other critical areas is required by federal, state and the county code. If you and PDS aren’t willing to acknowledge this, I obviously called upon the wrong source. I doubt your position will pass legal or public scrutiny.
The emphasis here should be to stop this type of activity you fail to see and mitigate the damage that has been done.
Jim Walsh
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September 26, 2022
Mr. Walsh
I have inspected the property and reviewed my findings with our Sr. Environment Planner. At this time I have found no violations of Snohomish County Code. I have to say that the activity described in your complaint appears greatly exaggerated to the actual activity that has occurred. The property owner cleaned out a draining ditch., activity that is allowed as “maintenance” by the property owner. The draining ditch has been there for years and years and I found no evidence that anything negatively impactful has been done to the area. I
This complaint has been closed.
Best Regards – Jeff Lambier
Jeff Lambier | Code Enforcement
Snohomish County Planning & Development Services
https://snohomishcountywa.gov/5169/Planning-Development-Services
3000 Rockefeller Avenue M/S 604 | Everett, WA 98201
O: 425-388-3682 | C: 425-382-3430 | Jeff.Lambier@snoco.org