S-0639

AN ACT Relating to the alleviation of flood damage; amending RCW 86.16.120, 79.72.010, 79.72.020, 79.72.030, 79.72.070, 79.90.455, 90.58.020, 90.58.030, 75.20.100, 75.20.103, 75.10.130, 43.21C.020, 43.21C.037, 47.28.140, 79.01.135, 86.26.007, 36.32.290, 86.26.005, 86.26.040, 86.26.050, 86.26.060, 86.26.070, 86.26.100, and 86.26.105; adding a new section to chapter 79.72 RCW; adding a new section to chapter 90.58 RCW; adding a new section to chapter 86.16 RCW; adding a new section to chapter 86.26 RCW; and creating a new section.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. The legislature finds that floods pose threats to public health and to the safety of public and private property including loss or endangerment to human life; damage to homes; reduction of water quality; damage to public roads, highways, bridges, and utilities; interruption of travel, communication, and commerce; damage to fisheries, fish propagation facilities, and fish habitat; harm to livestock; destruction or degradation of environmentally sensitive areas; erosion of soil, stream banks and beds; and harmful accumulation of soil and debris in the beds of streams or other bodies of water and on public and private lands.

The legislature finds that the alleviation of flood damage to public and private property and to the public health and safety is a matter of public concern. The legislature further finds that most actions that will be effective to prevent and minimize damage by floods need to be planned and approved in advance of the time that a flood occurs.

It is the policy of the state for state agencies to cooperate and assist the public in actions which will prevent and minimize flood damage.

The purpose of this act is to develop a coordinated state policy that will provide a broader perspective to be applied in the implementation of various state laws to require the inclusion of the policy of alleviation of flood damage as a high priority.

Sec. 2. RCW 86.16.120 and 1935 c 159 s 2 are each amended to read as follows:

Damages within the meaning of this chapter shall include loss of human life and damages to homes and possessions; harmful inundation((,)); water erosion of soil, stream banks and beds((,)); stream channel shifting and changes((,)); harmful deposition by water of eroded and shifting soils, rocks, gravel, and debris upon property or in the beds of streams or other bodies of water((,)); damages by high water to public roads, highways, bridges, utilities and to works built for protection against floods or inundation((,)); the interruption by floods of travel, communication and commerce((,)); harm to livestock by flood waters; reduction in the flow capacity of streams due to the accumulation of deposited silt, soils, gravel, and other materials in the beds of streams; the accumulations of deposited soils, rocks, gravel, sand, and other materials on stream bars that may result in a change in the flow direction of streams or erosion of stream banks; damage to fisheries, fish propagation facilities, and fish habitat; degradation of scenic, historic, and recreational values of rivers; and all other high water influences and results which injuriously affect the public health and the safety of property.

Sec. 3. RCW 79.72.010 and 1977 ex.s. c 161 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:

The legislature hereby finds that many rivers of this state, with their immediate environs, possess outstanding natural, scenic, historic, ecological, and recreational values of present and future benefit to the public. The legislature further finds that the policy of permitting the construction of dams and other impoundment facilities at appropriate sections of the rivers of this state needs to be complemented by a policy that would protect and preserve the natural character of such rivers and fulfill other conservation purposes. It is hereby declared to be the policy of this state that certain selected rivers of the state which, with their immediate environs, possess the aforementioned characteristics, shall be preserved in as natural a condition as practical with equal consideration given to the prevention and minimization of flood damage policies of this act and that overuse of such rivers, which tends to downgrade their natural condition, shall be discouraged.

The purpose of this chapter is to establish a program for managing publicly owned land on rivers included in the state's scenic river system, to indicate the river segments to be initially included in that system, to prescribe a procedure for adding additional

private property owners.

Sec. 4. RCW 79.72.020 and 1988 c 36 s 57 are each amended to read as follows:

The definitions set forth in this section apply throughout this chapter unless the context clearly requires otherwise.

(1) "Department" means the state parks and recreation commission.

(2) "Committee of participating agencies" or "committee" means a committee composed of the executive head, or the executive's designee, of each of the state departments of ecology, fisheries, wildlife, natural resources, and transportation, the state parks and recreation commission, the interagency committee for outdoor recreation, the Washington state association of counties, and the association of Washington cities. In addition, the governor shall appoint ((~~two~~)) to the committee five public members of ((~~the committee~~)) which three shall be persons owning property adjacent to a river segment designated under this chapter, and whose land is prone to damage by floods. Public members of the committee shall be compensated in accordance with RCW 43.03.220 and shall receive reimbursement for their travel expenses as provided in RCW 43.03.050 and RCW 43.03.060.

When a specific river or river segment of the state's scenic river system is being considered by the committee, a representative of each participating local government associated with that river or river segment shall serve as a member of the committee.

(3) "Participating local government" means the legislative authority of any city or county, a portion of whose territorial jurisdiction is bounded by or includes a river or river segment of the state's scenic river system.

(4) "River" means a flowing body of water or a section, segment, or portion thereof.

(5) "River area" means a river and the land area in its immediate environs as established by the participating agencies not exceeding a width of one-quarter mile landward from the streamway on either side of the river.

(6) "Scenic easement" means the negotiated right to control the use of land, including the air space above the land, for the purpose of protecting the scenic view throughout the visual corridor.

(7) "Streamway" means that stream-dependent corridor of single or multiple, wet or dry, channel or channels within which the usual seasonal or stormwater run-off peaks are contained, and within which environment the flora, fauna, soil, and topography is dependent on or influenced by the height and velocity of the fluctuating river currents.

(8) "System" means all the rivers and river areas in the state designated by the legislature for inclusion as scenic rivers but does not include tributaries of a designated river unless specifically included by the legislature. The inclusion of a river in the system does not mean that other rivers or tributaries in a drainage basin shall be required to be part of the management program developed for the system unless the rivers and tributaries within the drainage basin are specifically designated for inclusion by the legislature.

(9) "Visual corridor" means that area which can be seen in a normal summer month by a person of normal vision walking either bank of a river included in the system. The visual corridor shall not exceed the river area.

(10) "Flood damage" shall have the same meaning as provided in RCW 86.16.120.

Sec. 5. RCW 79.72.030 and 1977 ex.s. c 161 s 3 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) The department shall develop and adopt management policies for publicly owned or leased land on the rivers designated by the legislature as being a part of the state's scenic river system and within the associated river areas. The department may adopt regulations identifying river classifications which reflect the characteristics common to various segments of scenic rivers and may adopt management policies consistent with local government's shoreline management master plans appropriate for each such river classification. All such policies shall be subject to review by the committee of participating agencies. Once such a policy has been approved by a majority vote of the committee members, it shall be adopted by the department in accordance with the provisions of chapter 34.05 RCW, as now or hereafter amended. Any variance with such a policy by any public agency shall be authorized only by the approval of the committee of participating agencies by majority vote, and shall be made only to alleviate unusual hardships unique to a given segment of the system.

(2) Any policies developed pursuant to subsection (1) of this section shall include management plans for (a) protecting ecological, economic, recreational, aesthetic, botanical, scenic, geological, hydrological, fish and wildlife, historical, cultural, archaeological, and scientific features of the rivers designated as being in the system and (b) prevention and minimization of flood damage as defined in RCW 86.16.120. Such policies shall also include management plans to encourage any nonprofit group, organization, association, person, or corporation to develop and adopt programs for the purpose of increasing fish propagation.

(3) The committee of participating agencies shall, by two-thirds majority vote, identify on a river by river basis any publicly owned or leased lands which could be included in a river area of the system but which are developed in a manner unsuitable for land to be managed as part of the system. The department shall exclude lands so identified from the provisions of any management policies implementing the provisions of this chapter.

(4) The committee of participating agencies, by majority vote, shall determine the boundaries which shall define the river area associated with any included river. With respect to the rivers named in RCW 79.72.080, the committee shall make such determination, and those determinations authorized by subsection (3) of this section, within one year of September 21, 1977.

(5) Before making a decision regarding the river area to be included in the system, a variance in policy, or the excluding of land from the provisions of the management policies, the committee shall hold hearings in accord with chapter 34.05 RCW, with at least one public hearing to be held in the general locale of the river under consideration. The department shall cause to be published in a newspaper of general circulation in the area which includes the river or rivers to be considered, a description, including a map showing such river or rivers, of the material to be considered at the public hearing. Such notice shall appear at least twice in the time period between two and four weeks prior to the public hearing.

(6) Meetings of the committee shall be called by the department or by written petition signed by five or more of the committee members. The chairman of the parks and recreation commission or the chairman's designee shall serve as the chairman of any meetings of the committee held to implement the provisions of this chapter.

The committee shall seek and receive comments from the public regarding potential additions to the system, shall initiate studies, and may, through the department, submit to any session of the legislature proposals for additions to the state scenic river system. These proposals shall be accompanied by a detailed report on the factors which, in the committee's judgment, make an area a worthy addition to the system.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 6. A new section is added to chapter 79.72 RCW to read as follows:

The requirement to adopt policies for the prevention and minimization of flood damage shall be complied with by July 1, 1992.

Sec. 7. RCW 79.72.070 and 1988 c 36 s 58 are each amended to read as follows:

Nothing contained in this chapter shall (a) affect the authority of the department of fisheries and the department of wildlife to construct facilities or make improvements to facilitate the passage or propagation of fish nor shall anything in this chapter be construed to interfere with the powers, duties, and authority of the department of fisheries or the department of wildlife to regulate, manage, conserve, and provide for the harvest of fish or wildlife within any area designated as being in the state's scenic river system: PROVIDED, That no hunting shall be permitted in any state park or (b) be construed by regulatory agencies as affecting their ability to issue permits to entities to undertake activities within areas designated under this chapter to prevent and minimize flood damage.

Sec. 8. RCW 79.90.455 and 1984 c 221 s 2 are each amended to read as follows:

The management of state-owned aquatic lands shall be in conformance with constitutional and statutory requirements. The manager of state-owned aquatic lands shall strive to provide a balance of public benefits for all citizens of the state. The public benefits provided by aquatic lands are varied and include:

(1) Encouraging direct public use and access;

(2) Preventing and minimizing flood damage as defined in RCW 86.16.120;

(3) Fostering water-dependent uses;

((~~(3)~~)) (4) Ensuring environmental protection;

((~~(4)~~)) (5) Utilizing renewable resources.

Generating revenue in a manner consistent with subsections (1) through ((~~(4)~~)) (5) of this section is a public benefit.

Sec. 9. RCW 90.58.020 and 1982 1st ex.s. c 13 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:

The legislature finds that the shorelines of the state are among the most valuable and fragile of its natural resources and that there is great concern throughout the state relating to their utilization, protection, restoration, and preservation. In addition it finds that ever increasing pressures of additional uses are being placed on the shorelines necessitating increased coordination in the management and development of the shorelines of the state. The legislature further finds that much of the shorelines of the state and the uplands adjacent thereto are in private ownership; that unrestricted construction on the privately owned or publicly owned shorelines of the state is not in the best public interest; and therefore, coordinated planning is necessary in order to protect the public interest associated with the shorelines of the state while, at the same time, recognizing and protecting private property rights consistent with the public interest. There is, therefor, a clear and urgent demand for a planned, rational, and concerted effort, jointly performed by federal, state, and local governments, to prevent the inherent harm in an uncoordinated and piecemeal development of the state's shorelines.

It is the policy of the state to provide for the management of the shorelines of the state by planning for and fostering all reasonable and appropriate uses. This policy is designed to insure the development of these shorelines in a manner which, while allowing for limited reduction of rights of the public in the navigable waters, will promote and enhance the public interest. This policy contemplates protecting against adverse effects to the public health, the land and its vegetation and wildlife, and the waters of the state and their aquatic life, while protecting generally public rights of navigation and corollary rights incidental thereto.

The legislature declares that the interest of all of the people shall be paramount in the management of shorelines of state-wide significance. The department, in adopting guidelines for shorelines of state-wide significance, and local government, in developing master programs for shorelines of state-wide significance, shall give preference to uses in the following order of preference which:

(1) Recognize and protect the state-wide interest over local interest;

(2) Preserve the natural character of the shoreline with equal consideration given to the state policy established in section 1 of this act to alleviate flood damage;

(3) Result in long term over short term benefit;

(4) Protect the resources and ecology of the shoreline;

(5) Increase public access to publicly owned areas of the shorelines;

(6) Increase recreational opportunities for the public in the shoreline;

(7) Provide for any other element as defined in RCW 90.58.100 deemed appropriate or necessary.

In the implementation of this policy the public's opportunity to enjoy the physical and aesthetic qualities of natural shorelines of the state shall be preserved to the greatest extent feasible consistent with the overall best interest of the state and the people generally and the need to prevent and minimize flood damage. To this end uses shall be preferred which are consistent with control of pollution and prevention of damage to the natural environment, or are unique to or dependent upon use of the state's shoreline. Alterations of the natural condition of the shorelines of the state, in those limited instances when authorized, shall be given priority for single family residences, ports, shoreline recreational uses including but not limited to parks, marinas, piers, and other improvements facilitating public access to shorelines of the state, industrial and commercial developments which are particularly dependent on their location on or use of the shorelines of the state and other development that will provide an opportunity for substantial numbers of the people to enjoy the shorelines of the state. Alterations of the natural condition of the shorelines and wetlands of the state with equal consideration given to the need to perform activities that prevent or minimize flood damage shall be recognized by the department. Shorelines and wetlands of the state shall be appropriately classified and these classifications shall be revised when circumstances warrant regardless of whether the change in circumstances occurs through man-made causes or natural causes. Any areas resulting from alterations of the natural condition of the shorelines and wetlands of the state no longer meeting the definition of "shorelines of the state" shall not be subject to the provisions of chapter 90.58 RCW.

Permitted uses in the shorelines of the state shall be designed and conducted in a manner to minimize, insofar as practical, any resultant damage to the ecology and environment of the shoreline area and any interference with the public's use of the water.

Sec. 10. RCW 90.58.030 and 1987 c 474 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:

As used in this chapter, unless the context otherwise requires, the following definitions and concepts apply:

(1) Administration:

(a) "Department" means the department of ecology;

(b) "Director" means the director of the department of ecology;

(c) "Local government" means any county, incorporated city, or town which contains within its boundaries any lands or waters subject to this chapter;

(d) "Person" means an individual, partnership, corporation, association, organization, cooperative, public or municipal corporation, or agency of the state or local governmental unit however designated;

(e) "Hearing board" means the shoreline hearings board established by this chapter.

(2) Geographical:

(a) "Extreme low tide" means the lowest line on the land reached by a receding tide;

(b) "Ordinary high water mark" on all lakes, streams, and tidal water is that mark that will be found by examining the bed and banks and ascertaining where the presence and action of waters are so common and usual, and so long continued in all ordinary years, as to mark upon the soil a character distinct from that of the abutting upland, in respect to vegetation as that condition exists on June 1, 1971, as it may naturally change thereafter, or as it may change thereafter in accordance with permits issued by a local government or the department: PROVIDED, That in any area where the ordinary high water mark cannot be found, the ordinary high water mark adjoining salt water shall be the line of mean higher high tide and the ordinary high water mark adjoining fresh water shall be the line of mean high water;

(c) "Shorelines of the state" are the total of all "shorelines" and "shorelines of state-wide significance" within the state;

(d) "Shorelines" means all of the water areas of the state, including reservoirs, and their associated wetlands, together with the lands underlying them; except (i) shorelines of state-wide significance; (ii) shorelines on segments of streams upstream of a point where the mean annual flow is twenty cubic feet per second or less and the wetlands associated with such upstream segments; and (iii) shorelines on lakes less than twenty acres in size and wetlands associated with such small lakes;

(e) "Shorelines of state-wide significance" means the following shorelines of the state:

(i) The area between the ordinary high water mark and the western boundary of the state from Cape Disappointment on the south to Cape Flattery on the north, including harbors, bays, estuaries, and inlets;

(ii) Those areas of Puget Sound and adjacent salt waters and the Strait of Juan de Fuca between the ordinary high water mark and the line of extreme low tide as follows:

(A) Nisqually Delta--from DeWolf Bight to Tatsolo Point,

(B) Birch Bay--from Point Whitehorn to Birch Point,

(D) Skagit Bay and adjacent area--from Brown Point to Yokeko Point, and

(E) Padilla Bay--from March Point to William Point;

(iii) Those areas of Puget Sound and the Strait of Juan de Fuca and adjacent salt waters north to the Canadian line and lying seaward from the line of extreme low tide;

(iv) Those lakes, whether natural, artificial, or a combination thereof, with a surface acreage of one thousand acres or more measured at the ordinary high water mark;

(v) Those natural rivers or segments thereof as follows:

(A) Any west of the crest of the Cascade range downstream of a point where the mean annual flow is measured at one thousand cubic feet per second or more,

(B) Any east of the crest of the Cascade range downstream of a point where the annual flow is measured at two hundred cubic feet per second or more, or those portions of rivers east of the crest of the Cascade range downstream from the first three hundred square miles of drainage area, whichever is longer;

(vi) Those wetlands associated with (i), (ii), (iv), and (v) of this subsection (2)(e);

(f) "Wetlands" or "wetland areas" means those lands extending landward for two hundred feet in all directions as measured on a horizontal plane from the ordinary high water mark; floodways and contiguous floodplain areas landward two hundred feet from such floodways; and all marshes, bogs, swamps, and river deltas associated with the streams, lakes, and tidal waters which are subject to the provisions of this chapter; the same to be designated as to location by the department of ecology: PROVIDED, That any county or city may determine that portion of a one-hundred-year-flood plain to be included in its master program as long as such portion includes, as a minimum, the floodway and the adjacent land extending landward two hundred feet therefrom;

(g) "Floodway" means those portions of the area of a river valley lying streamward from the outer limits of a watercourse upon which flood waters are carried during periods of flooding that occur with reasonable regularity, although not necessarily annually, said floodway being identified, under normal condition, by changes in surface soil conditions or changes in types or quality of vegetative ground cover condition. The floodway shall not include those lands that can reasonably be expected to be protected from flood waters by flood control devices maintained by or maintained under license from the federal government, the state, or a political subdivision of the state;

(h) "Flood damage" shall have the same meaning as provided in RCW 86.16.120.

(3) Procedural terms:

(a) "Guidelines" means those standards adopted to implement the policy of this chapter for regulation of use of the shorelines of the state prior to adoption of master programs. Such standards shall also provide criteria to local governments and the department in developing master programs;

(b) "Master program" shall mean the comprehensive use plan for a described area, and the use regulations together with maps, diagrams, charts, or other descriptive material and text, a statement of desired goals, and standards developed in accordance with the policies enunciated in RCW 90.58.020;

(c) "State master program" is the cumulative total of all master programs approved or adopted by the department of ecology;

(d) "Development" means a use consisting of the construction or exterior alteration of structures; dredging; drilling; dumping; filling; removal of any sand, gravel, or minerals; bulkheading; driving of piling; placing of obstructions; or any project of a permanent or temporary nature which interferes with the normal public use of the surface of the waters overlying lands subject to this chapter at any state of water level;

(e) "Substantial development" shall mean any development of which the total cost or fair market value exceeds two thousand five hundred dollars plus an amount to adjust for inflation, or any development which materially interferes with the normal public use of the water or shorelines of the state; except that the following shall not be considered substantial developments for the purpose of this chapter. The department shall adjust the amount subject to this subsection once every five years commencing on January 1, 1991. The amount of the inflation adjustment shall be based upon the inflation rate as measured by the implicit price deflator index that has occurred since the last increase:

(i) Normal maintenance or repair of existing structures or developments, including damage by accident, fire, or elements;

(ii) Construction of the normal protective bulkhead common to single family residences;

(iii) Emergency construction necessary to protect property from damage by the elements;

(iv) Construction and practices normal or necessary for farming, irrigation, and ranching activities, including agricultural service roads and utilities on wetlands, and the construction and maintenance of irrigation structures including but not limited to head gates, pumping facilities, and irrigation channels: PROVIDED, That a feedlot of any size, all processing plants, other activities of a commercial nature, alteration of the contour of the wetlands by leveling or filling other than that which results from normal cultivation, shall not be considered normal or necessary farming or ranching activities. A feedlot shall be an enclosure or facility used or capable of being used for feeding livestock hay, grain, silage, or other livestock feed, but shall not include land for growing crops or vegetation for livestock feeding and/or grazing, nor shall it include normal livestock wintering operations;

(v) Construction or modification of navigational aids such as channel markers and anchor buoys;

(vi) Construction on wetlands by an owner, lessee, or contract purchaser of a single family residence for his own use or for the use of his family, which residence does not exceed a height of thirty-five feet above average grade level and which meets all requirements of the state agency or local government having jurisdiction thereof, other than requirements imposed pursuant to this chapter;

(vii) Construction of a dock, including a community dock, designed for pleasure craft only, for the private noncommercial use of the owner, lessee, or contract purchaser of single and multiple family residences, the cost of which does not exceed two thousand five hundred dollars;

(viii) Operation, maintenance, or construction of canals, waterways, drains, reservoirs, or other facilities that now exist or are hereafter created or developed as a part of an irrigation system for the primary purpose of making use of system waters, including return flow and artificially stored ground water for the irrigation of lands;

(ix) The marking of property lines or corners on state owned lands, when such marking does not significantly interfere with normal public use of the surface of the water;

(x) Operation and maintenance of any system of dikes, ditches, drains, or other facilities ((~~existing on September 8, 1975,~~)) which were created, developed, or utilized primarily as a part of an agricultural drainage or diking system;

(xi) Any action commenced prior to December 31, 1982, pertaining to (A) the restoration of interim transportation services as may be necessary as a consequence of the destruction of the Hood Canal bridge, including, but not limited to, improvements to highways, development of park and ride facilities, and development of ferry terminal facilities until a new or reconstructed Hood Canal bridge is open to traffic; and (B) the reconstruction of a permanent bridge at the site of the original Hood Canal bridge.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 11. A new section is added to chapter 90.58 RCW to read as follows:

Within six months of the effective date of this act, the department shall submit to local governments guidelines to incorporate the policies of this chapter. Within nine months from receipt of such guidelines, local governments shall submit to the department in writing proposed changes to their master programs to incorporate the requirements of this chapter.

Sec. 12. RCW 75.20.100 and 1988 c 272 s 1 and 1988 c 36 s 33 are each amended to read as follows:

In the event that any person or government agency desires to construct any form of hydraulic project or perform other work that will use, divert, obstruct, or change the natural flow or bed of any of the salt or fresh waters of the state, such person or government agency shall, before commencing construction or work thereon and to ensure the proper protection of fish life, secure the written approval of the department of fisheries or the department of wildlife as to the adequacy of the means proposed for the protection of fish life. This approval shall not be unreasonably withheld. The department of fisheries or the department of wildlife shall grant or deny approval within forty-five calendar days of the receipt of a complete application and notice of compliance with any applicable requirements of the state environmental policy act, made in the manner prescribed in this section. The applicant may document receipt of application by filing in person or by registered mail. A complete application for approval shall contain general plans for the overall project, complete plans and specifications of the proposed construction or work within the mean higher high water line in salt water or within the ordinary high water line in fresh water, and complete plans and specifications for the proper protection of fish life. The forty-five day requirement shall be suspended if (1) after ten working days of receipt of the application, the applicant remains unavailable or unable to arrange for a timely field evaluation of the proposed project; (2) the site is physically inaccessible for inspection; or (3) the applicant requests delay. Immediately upon determination that the forty-five day period is suspended, the department of fisheries or the department of wildlife shall notify the applicant in writing of the reasons for the delay. Approval is valid for a period of up to five years from date of issuance. The permittee must demonstrate substantial progress on construction of that portion of the project relating to the approval within two years of the date of issuance. If either the department of fisheries or the department of wildlife denies approval, that department shall provide the applicant, in writing, a statement of the specific reasons why and how the proposed project would adversely affect fish life. In deliberating permit approval, the department of fisheries or the department of wildlife shall give equal consideration to the state policy to prevent or minimize flood damage as defined in RCW 86.16.120. Protection of fish life shall be the only ground upon which approval may be denied or conditioned. Chapter 34.05 RCW applies to any denial of project approval, conditional approval, or requirements for project modification upon which approval may be contingent. If any person or government agency commences construction on any hydraulic works or projects subject to this section without first having obtained written approval of the department of fisheries or the department of wildlife as to the adequacy of the means proposed for the protection of fish life, or if any person or government agency fails to follow or carry out any of the requirements or conditions as are made a part of such approval, the person or director of the agency is guilty of a gross misdemeanor. If any such person or government agency is convicted of violating any of the provisions of this section and continues construction on any such works or projects without fully complying with the provisions hereof, such works or projects are hereby declared a public nuisance and shall be subject to abatement as such.

For the purposes of this section and RCW 75.20.103, "bed" shall mean the land below the ordinary high water lines of state waters. This definition shall not include irrigation ditches, canals, storm water run-off devices, or other artificial watercourses except where they exist in a natural watercourse that has been altered by ((~~man~~)) people. For the purposes of this section and RCW 75.20.103, "emergency" means an imminent threat to life, public or private property, or an imminent threat of serious environmental degradation.

The phrase "to construct any form of hydraulic project or perform other work" shall not include the act of driving across an established ford. Driving across streams or on wetted stream beds at areas other than established fords requires approval. Work within the ordinary high water line of state waters to construct or repair a ford or crossing requires approval.

For each application, the department of fisheries and the department of wildlife shall mutually agree on whether the department of fisheries or the department of wildlife shall administer the provisions of this section, in order to avoid duplication of effort. The department designated to act shall cooperate with the other department in order to protect all species of fish life found at the project site. If the department of fisheries or the department of wildlife receives an application concerning a site not in its jurisdiction, it shall transmit the application to the other department within three days and notify the applicant.

In case of an emergency arising from weather or stream flow conditions or other natural conditions, the department of fisheries or department of wildlife, through their authorized representatives, shall issue immediately upon request oral approval for removing any obstructions, repairing existing structures, restoring stream banks, or to protect property threatened by the stream or a change in the stream flow without the necessity of obtaining a written approval prior to commencing work. Conditions of an oral approval shall be reduced to writing within thirty days and complied with as provided for in this section. Oral approval shall be granted immediately upon request, for a stream crossing during an emergency situation.

This section shall not apply to the construction of any form of hydraulic project or other work which diverts water for agricultural irrigation or stock watering purposes authorized under or recognized as being valid by the state's water codes, or when such hydraulic project or other work is associated with streambank stabilization ((~~to protect farm and agricultural land as defined in RCW 84.34.020~~)) as defined in RCW 75.20.103. These irrigation or stock watering diversion and streambank stabilization projects shall be governed by RCW 75.20.103.

If requirements for maintenance and repair of levies imposed by the United States Army corps of engineers and the requirements imposed as a condition of the approval issued pursuant to this section or RCW 75.20.103 are in conflict, the requirements of the federal agency shall prevail.

Sec. 13. RCW 75.20.103 and 1988 c 272 s 2 and 1988 c 36 s 34 are each amended to read as follows:

In the event that any person or government agency desires to construct any form of hydraulic project or other work that diverts water for agricultural irrigation or stock watering purposes, or when such hydraulic project or other work is associated with streambank stabilization ((~~to protect farm and agricultural land as defined in RCW 84.34.020~~)), and when such diversion or streambank stabilization will use, divert, obstruct, or change the natural flow or bed of any river or stream or will utilize any waters of the state or materials from the stream beds, the person or government agency shall, before commencing construction or work thereon and to ensure the proper protection of fish life, secure a written approval from the department of fisheries or the department of wildlife as to the adequacy of the means proposed for the protection of fish life. This approval shall not be unreasonably withheld. The department of fisheries or the department of wildlife shall grant or deny the approval within forty-five calendar days of the receipt of a complete application and notice of compliance with any applicable requirements of the state environmental policy act, made in the manner prescribed in this section. The applicant may document receipt of application by filing in person or by registered mail. A complete application for an approval shall contain general plans for the overall project, complete plans and specifications of the proposed construction or work within ordinary high water line, and complete plans and specifications for the proper protection of fish life. The forty-five day requirement shall be suspended if (1) after ten working days of receipt of the application, the applicant remains unavailable or unable to arrange for a timely field evaluation of the proposed project; (2) the site is physically inaccessible for inspection; or (3) the applicant requests delay.

Immediately upon determination that the forty-five day period is suspended, the department of fisheries or the department of wildlife shall notify the applicant in writing of the reasons for the delay.

An approval shall remain in effect without need for periodic renewal for projects that divert water for agricultural irrigation or stock watering purposes and that involve seasonal construction or other work. Approval for streambank stabilization projects shall remain in effect without need for periodic renewal if the problem causing the need for the streambank stabilization occurs on an annual or more frequent basis. The permittee must notify the appropriate agency before commencing the construction or other work within the area covered by the approval.

The permittee must demonstrate substantial progress on construction of that portion of the project relating to the approval within two years of the date of issuance. If either the department of fisheries or the department of wildlife denies approval, that department shall provide the applicant, in writing, a statement of the specific reasons why and how the proposed project would adversely affect fish life. In deliberating permit approval, the department of fisheries or the department of wildlife shall give equal consideration to the state policy to prevent or minimize flood damage as defined in RCW 86.16.120. Protection of fish life shall be the only ground upon which approval may be denied or conditioned. Issuance, denial, conditioning, or modification shall be appealable to the hydraulic appeals board established in RCW 43.21B.005 within thirty days of the notice of decision. The burden shall be upon the department of fisheries or the department of wildlife to show that the denial or conditioning of an approval is solely aimed at the protection of fish life.

The department granting approval may, after consultation with the permittee, modify an approval due to changed conditions. The modifications shall become effective unless appealed to the hydraulic appeals board within thirty days from the notice of the proposed modification. The burden is on the department issuing the approval to show that changed conditions warrant the modification in order to protect fish life.

A permittee may request modification of an approval due to changed conditions. The request shall be processed within forty-five calendar days of receipt of the written request. A decision by the department that issued the approval may be appealed to the hydraulic appeals board within thirty days of the notice of the decision. The burden is on the permittee to show that changed conditions warrant the requested modification and that such modification will not impair fish life.

If any person or government agency commences construction on any hydraulic works or projects subject to this section without first having obtained written approval of the department of fisheries or the department of wildlife as to the adequacy of the means proposed for the protection of fish life, or if any person or government agency fails to follow or carry out any of the requirements or conditions as are made a part of such approval, the person or director of the agency is guilty of a gross misdemeanor. If any such person or government agency is convicted of violating any of the provisions of this section and continues construction on any such works or projects without fully complying with the provisions hereof, such works or projects are hereby declared a public nuisance and shall be subject to abatement as such.

For purposes of this chapter, "streambank stabilization" shall include but not be limited to log and debris removal, bank protection (including riprap, jetties, and groins), gravel removal and erosion control.

If requirements for maintenance and repair of levies imposed by the United States Army corps of engineers and the requirements imposed as a condition of the approval issued pursuant to this section or RCW 75.20.100 are in conflict, the requirements of the federal agency shall prevail.

Sec. 14. RCW 75.10.130 and 1989 c 175 s 160 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) There is hereby created within the environmental hearings office under RCW 43.21B.005 the hydraulic appeals board of the state of Washington.

(2) The hydraulic appeals board shall consist of three members: The director of the department of ecology or the director's designee, the director of the department of agriculture or the director's designee, ((~~and the director or the director's designee of the department whose action is appealed under subsection (6) of this section~~)) and a member of the county legislative authority appointed by the chair of that authority from the county where the project in question is situated. A decision must be agreed to by at least two members of the board to be final.

(3) The board may adopt rules necessary for the conduct of its powers and duties or for transacting other official business.

(4) The board shall make findings of fact and prepare a written decision in each case decided by it, and that finding and decision shall be effective upon being signed by two or more board members and upon being filed at the hydraulic appeals board's principal office, and shall be open to public inspection at all reasonable times.

(5) The board has exclusive jurisdiction to hear appeals arising from the approval, denial, conditioning, or modification of a hydraulic approval issued by either the department of fisheries or the department of wildlife under the authority granted in RCW 75.20.103 for the diversion of water for agricultural irrigation or stock watering purposes or when associated with streambank stabilization to protect farm and agricultural land as defined in RCW 84.34.020.

(6) (a) Any person aggrieved by the approval, denial, conditioning, or modification of a hydraulic approval pursuant to RCW 75.20.103 may seek review from the board by filing a request for the same within thirty days of notice of the approval, denial, conditioning, or modification of such approval.

(b) The review proceedings authorized in (a) of this subsection are subject to the provisions of chapter 34.05 RCW pertaining to procedures in adjudicative proceedings.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 15. A new section is added to chapter 86.16 RCW to read as follows:

Local governments that have adopted flood plain management regulations pursuant to this chapter shall include provisions that allow for the establishment of livestock flood sanctuary areas at a convenient location within a farming unit that contains domestic livestock. Local governments may limit the size and configuration of the livestock flood sanctuary areas, but such limitation shall provide adequate space for the expected number of livestock on the farming unit and shall be at an adequate elevation to protect livestock. Modification to flood plain management regulations required pursuant to this section shall be within the minimum federal requirements necessary to maintain coverage under the national flood insurance program.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 16. A new section is added to chapter 86.26 RCW to read as follows:

Flood protection project is the work necessary to preserve, restore, or improve either natural or human-made flood control facilities to repair or prevent flood damage as defined in RCW 86.16.120 including but not limited to action by erosion, stream flow, sheet runoff, or other damages by the sea or other bodies of water.

Sec. 17. RCW 43.21C.020 and 1971 ex.s. c 109 s 2 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) The legislature, recognizing that ((~~man~~)) people depend((s)) on ((~~his~~)) biological and physical surroundings for food, shelter, and other needs, and for cultural enrichment as well; and recognizing further the profound impact of man's activity on the interrelations of all components of the natural environment, particularly the profound influences of population growth, high-density urbanization, industrial expansion, resource utilization and exploitation, and new and expanding technological advances and recognizing further the critical importance of restoring and maintaining environmental quality to the overall welfare and development of man, declares that it is the continuing policy of the state of Washington, in cooperation with federal and local governments, and other concerned public and private organizations, to use all practicable means and measures, including financial and technical assistance, in a manner calculated to: (a) Foster and promote the general welfare; (b) to create and maintain conditions under which man and nature can exist in productive harmony; and (c) fulfill the social, economic, and other requirements of present and future generations of Washington citizens.

(2) In order to carry out the policy set forth in this chapter, it is the continuing responsibility of the state of Washington and all agencies of the state to use all practicable means, consistent with other essential considerations of state policy including the prevention and minimization of flood damage as defined in RCW 86.16.120, to improve and coordinate plans, functions, programs, and resources to the end that the state and its citizens may:

(a) Fulfill the responsibilities of each generation as trustee of the environment for succeeding generations;

(b) Assure for all people of Washington safe, healthful, productive, and esthetically and culturally pleasing surroundings;

(c) Attain the widest range of beneficial uses of the environment without degradation, risk to health or safety, or other undesirable and unintended consequences;

(d) Preserve important historic, cultural, and natural aspects of our national heritage;

(e) Maintain, wherever possible, an environment which supports diversity and variety of individual choice;

(f) Achieve a balance between population and resource use which will permit high standards of living and a wide sharing of life's amenities; and

(g) Enhance the quality of renewable resources and approach the maximum attainable recycling of depletable resources.

(3) The legislature recognizes that each person has a fundamental and inalienable right to a healthful environment and that each person has a responsibility to contribute to the preservation and enhancement of the environment.

Sec. 18. RCW 43.21C.037 and 1983 c 117 s 2 are each amended to read as follows:

(1)(a) Decisions pertaining to applications for Class I, II, and III forest practices, as defined by rule of the forest practices board under RCW 76.09.050, are not subject to the requirements of RCW 43.21C.030(2)(c) as now or hereafter amended.

((~~(2)~~)) (b) When the applicable county, city, or town requires a license in connection with any proposal involving forest practices ((~~(a)~~)) (i) on lands platted after January 1, 1960, ((~~(b)~~)) (ii) on lands being converted to another use, or ((~~(c)~~)) (iii) on lands which, pursuant to RCW 76.09.070 as now or hereafter amended, are not to be reforested because of the likelihood of future conversion to urban development, then the local government, rather than the department of natural resources, is responsible for any detailed statement required under RCW 43.21C.030(2)(c).

((~~(3)~~)) (c) Those forest practices determined by rule of the forest practices board to have a potential for a substantial impact on the environment, and thus to be Class IV practices, require an evaluation by the department of natural resources as to whether or not a detailed statement must be prepared pursuant to this chapter. The evaluation shall be made within ten days from the date the department receives the application. A Class IV forest practice application must be approved or disapproved by the department within thirty calendar days from the date the department receives the application, unless the department determines that a detailed statement must be made, in which case the application must be approved or disapproved by the department within sixty days from the date the department receives the application, unless the commissioner of public lands, through the promulgation of a formal order, determines that the process cannot be completed within such period. This section shall not be construed to prevent any local or regional governmental entity from determining that a detailed statement must be prepared for an action regarding a Class IV forest practice taken by that governmental entity concerning the land on which forest practices will be conducted.

(2) Decisions pertaining to applications for projects that are not a substantial development as defined in RCW 90.58.030(3)(e) and will aid in the prevention or minimization of flood damages as defined in RCW 86.16.120, shall be approved or disapproved by the agency within thirty calendar days from the date the agency receives the application, unless the agency determines that a detailed statement must be made, in which case the application must be approved or disapproved within sixty days from the date the agency receives the application, unless the director of the agency, through the promulgation of a formal order, determines that the process cannot be completed within such period.

Sec. 19. RCW 47.28.140 and 1984 c 7 s 174 are each amended to read as follows:

When in the opinion of the governing authorities representing the department and any agency, instrumentality, municipal corporation, or political subdivision of the state of Washington, any highway, road, or street will be benefited or improved by constructing, reconstructing, locating, relocating, laying out, repairing, surveying, altering, improving, or maintaining, or by the establishment adjacent to, under, upon, within, or above any portion of any such highway, road, or street of an urban public transportation system, by either the department or any agency, instrumentality, municipal corporation, or political subdivision of the state, and it is in the public interest to do so, the authorities may enter into cooperative agreements wherein either agrees to perform the work and furnish the materials necessary and pay the cost thereof, including necessary engineering assistance, which costs and expenses shall be reimbursed by the party whose responsibility it was to do or perform the work or improvement in the first instance. The work may be done by either day labor or contract, and the cooperative agreement between the parties shall provide for the method of reimbursement. In the case of some special benefit or improvement to a state highway derived from any project that assists in the prevention or minimization of flood damages as defined in RCW 86.16.120 or from the construction of any public works project, including any urban public transportation system, the department may contribute to the cost thereof by making direct payment to the particular state department, agency, instrumentality, municipal corporation, or political subdivision on the basis of benefits received, but such payment shall be made only after a cooperative agreement has been entered into for a specified amount or on an actual cost basis prior to the commencement of the particular public works project.

Sec. 20. RCW 79.01.135 and 1984 c 212 s 10 are each amended to read as follows:

Whenever, pursuant to RCW 79.01.134, the commissioner of public lands enters into a contract for the sale and removal of rock, gravel, sand, or silt out of a riverbed, the commissioner shall, when establishing a royalty, take into consideration flood protection value to the public such as the prevention and minimization of flood damage as defined in RCW 86.16.120 that will arise as a result of such removal.

Sec. 21. RCW 86.26.007 and 1986 c 46 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:

The flood control assistance account is hereby established in the state treasury. At the beginning of each biennium after June 30, 1985, the state treasurer shall transfer from the general fund to the flood control assistance account an amount of money which, when combined with money remaining in the account from the previous biennium, will equal ((~~four~~)) .... million dollars. Moneys in the flood control assistance account may be spent only after appropriation for purposes specified under this chapter. All earnings of investments of balances in the flood control assistance account shall be credited to the general fund.

Sec. 22. RCW 36.32.290 and 1963 c 4 s 36.32.290 are each amended to read as follows:

When the board of county commissioners of any county deems it essential to the public interest for flood prevention purposes it may remove drifts, jams, logs, debris, gravel, earth, stone or bars forming obstructions to the stream, or other material from the beds, channels, and banks of watercourses in any manner deemed expedient, including the deposit thereof on bars not forming obstructions to the stream, or on subsidiary or high water channels of such watercourses.

Prior to any person or agency placing wooded debris within a stream channel or flood way, a permit must be obtained from the county government in the county that placement is proposed. The county may approve, deny, or place conditions on the permit to assure that any flood hazard caused by such debris is minimized.

Sec. 23. RCW 86.26.005 and 1951 c 240 s 2 are each amended to read as follows:

It is the purpose of the state in the exercise of its sovereign and police powers and in the interest of public welfare, to establish a state and local participating flood ((~~control maintenance~~)) protection policy.

Sec. 24. RCW 86.26.040 and 1988 c 36 s 63 are each amended to read as follows:

Whenever state grants under this chapter are used in a flood ((~~control maintenance~~)) protection project, the engineer of the county within which the project is located shall approve all plans for the specific project and shall supervise the work. The approval of such plans, construction and expenditures by the department of ecology, in consultation with the department of fisheries and the department of wildlife, shall be a condition precedent to state participation in the cost of any project beyond planning and designing the specific project.

Additionally, state grants may be made to counties for preparation of a comprehensive flood ((~~control management~~)) protection plan required to be prepared under RCW 86.26.050.

Sec. 25. RCW 86.26.050 and 1988 c 36 s 64 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) State participation shall be in such preparation of comprehensive flood ((~~control management~~)) protection plans and flood ((~~control maintenance~~)) protection projects as are affected with a general public and state interest, as differentiated from a private interest, and as are likely to bring about public benefits commensurate with the amount of state funds allocated thereto.

(2) No participation for flood ((~~control maintenance~~)) protection projects may occur with a county or other municipal corporation unless the director of ecology has approved the flood plain management activities of the county, city, or town having planning jurisdiction over the area where the flood ((~~control maintenance~~)) protection project will be, on the one hundred year flood plain surrounding such area.

The department of ecology shall adopt rules concerning the flood plain management activities of a county, city, or town that are adequate to protect or preclude flood damage to structures, works, and improvements, including the restriction of land uses within a river's meander belt or floodway to only flood-compatible uses. Whenever the department has approved county, city, and town flood plain management activities, as a condition of receiving an allocation of funds under this chapter, each revision to the flood plain management activities must be approved by the department of ecology, in consultation with the department of fisheries and the department of wildlife.

No participation with a county or other municipal corporation for flood ((~~control maintenance~~)) protection projects may occur unless the county engineer of the county within which the flood ((~~control maintenance~~)) protection project is located certifies that a comprehensive flood ((~~control management~~)) protection plan has been completed and adopted by the appropriate local authority, or is being prepared for all portions of the river basin or other area, within which the project is located in that county, that are subject to flooding with a frequency of one hundred years or less.

(3) Participation for flood ((~~control maintenance~~)) protection projects and preparation of comprehensive flood ((~~control management~~)) protection plans shall be made from grants made by the department of ecology from the flood control assistance account. Comprehensive flood ((~~control management~~)) protection plans, and any revisions to the plans, must be approved by the department of ecology, in consultation with the department of fisheries and the department of wildlife.

Sec. 26. RCW 86.26.060 and 1984 c 212 s 5 are each amended to read as follows:

Grants for flood ((~~control maintenance~~)) protection shall be so employed that as far as possible, funds will be on hand to meet unusual, unforeseeable and emergent flood conditions. Allocations by the department of ecology, for emergency purposes, shall in each instance be in amounts which together with funds provided by local authority, if any, under reasonable exercise of its emergency powers, shall be adequate for the preservation of life and property, and with due regard to similar needs elsewhere in the state.

Sec. 27. RCW 86.26.070 and 1951 c 240 s 9 are each amended to read as follows:

Any municipal corporation subject to flood conditions, may establish in its treasury a flood ((~~control maintenance~~)) protection fund. Such fund may be maintained by transfer thereto of moneys derived from regular or special lawful levies for flood ((~~control~~)) protection purposes, moneys which may be lawfully transferred to it from any other municipal fund; and gifts and contributions received for flood ((~~control~~)) protection purposes. All costs and expenses for flood ((~~control maintenance~~)) protection purposes shall be paid out of said flood ((~~control maintenance~~)) protection fund, which fund shall not be used for any other purpose.

Sec. 28. RCW 86.26.100 and 1986 c 46 s 4 are each amended to read as follows:

State participation in the cost of any flood ((~~control maintenance~~)) protection project shall be provided for by a written memorandum agreement between the director of ecology and the legislative authority of the county submitting the request, which agreement, among other things, shall state the estimated cost and the percentage thereof to be borne by the state. In no instance, except on emergency projects, shall the state's share exceed one-half the cost of the project, to include project planning and design. However, grants to prepare a comprehensive flood ((~~control~~)) protection management plan required under RCW 86.26.050 shall not exceed seventy-five percent of the full planning costs, but not to exceed amounts for either purpose specified in rule and regulation by the department of ecology.

Sec. 29. RCW 86.26.105 and 1986 c 45 s 5 are each amended to read as follows:

A comprehensive flood ((~~control management~~)) protection plan shall determine the need for flood ((~~control~~)) protection work, consider alternatives to in-stream flood ((~~control~~)) protection work, identify and consider potential impacts of in-stream flood ((~~control~~)) protection work on the state's in-stream resources, and identify the river's meander belt or floodway. A comprehensive flood ((~~control~~)) protection management plan shall be completed and adopted within at least three years of the certification that it is being prepared, as provided in RCW 86.26.050.

If after this three-year period has elapsed such a comprehensive flood ((~~control~~)) protection plan has not been completed and adopted, grants for flood ((~~control maintenance~~)) protection projects shall not be made to the county or municipal corporations in the county until a comprehensive flood ((~~control~~)) protection plan is completed and adopted by the appropriate local authority. These limitations on grants shall not preclude allocations for emergency purposes made pursuant to RCW 86.26.060.