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University of Oregon North Campus Conditional Use Permit Project Riparian Assessment and Management Report 1.0INTRODUCTION The University of Oregon (UO) Campus Planning Office is planning for future land uses within the UO North Campus area adjacent to the Willamette River in Eugene, Oregon. Much of the North Campus area occurs within the City of Eugene’s (City) Goal 5 Water Resource Conservation Overlay Zone that protects significant riparian areas, wetlands, and other water-related wildlife habitat areas. The City’s Goal 5 Water Resource Conservation Overlay Zone land use code defines setbacks and standards to guide development actions within the overlay zone. Much of the North Campus area also occurs within the City’s Goal 15 Willamette River Greenway boundary, which regulates new development, changes of use, and intensifications of use. Mason, Bruce & Girard, Inc. (MB&G) was contracted to conduct a site assessment to determine the extent to which the Goal 5 and Goal 15 conservation setbacks are measured in the North Campus area. MB&G was also contracted to document riparian habitat and function characteristics within the North Campus area to provide riparian management recommendations to support the land use and master site planning effort. Riparian areas are generally vegetated areas located adjacent to waterbodies that form the interface between terrestrial and aquatic areas. These areas protect water quality, remove contaminants, recharge groundwater, and are an important source of primary production for nutrient cycling and aquatic food webs. Riparian areas also provide habitat for a wide range of wildlife species, as well as flood storage and channel stability. The City of Eugene code (EC) states that “the overlay zone not only conserves the physical resources but also protects the water quality within the resource areas as a fundamental and essential requirement for continued survival of these biological systems” (EC 9.4900). The overlay zone establishes conservation setbacks that guide the planning, implementation, and management standards for multi-use development. These setbacks are established landward from a waterbody’s top-of-high-bank (TOHB, 100 feet for the Willamette River and 40 feet for the Millrace Slough) or a waterbody’s ordinary high water mark (OHWM, 120 feet for the Willamette River and 50 feet for the Millrace Slough), whichever is largest. Areas developed prior to November 14, 2005 should be excluded from conservation setbacks (EC 9.4920 \[5\]). However, the conservation setback discussed in this report does not exclude these areas. In addition, the conservation setback described in this report does not include the buffers of any jurisdictional wetlands (if present) within the project study area (PSA). Riparian areas within the City are defined in the EC by the area between the TOHB and the OHWM. The EC defines TOHB as “the highest point at which the bank meets the grade of the surrounding topography, characterized by an abrupt or noticeable change from a steeper grade to a less steep grade” \[EC 9.4920 (1)c1\]. OHWM in the EC is defined as “the line on the bank or shore to which seasonal high water rises annually identified in the field by physical characteristics” \[EC 9.4920 (1)c2\]. This report addresses the methodology employed in the TOHB and OHWM determinations in the North Campus area, and an analysis of the baseline functional conditions and management recommendations for the riparian area. 1.1Project Location The PSA is approximately 36 acres and is bounded to the north by the Willamette River, to the south and east by the Southern Pacific Railroad right-of-way (railroad), and to the west by a paved parking lot owned by the Eugene Water & Electric Board (EWEB) (Appendix A, Figure 1). The PSA includes the Millrace Slough from the confluence with the Willamette River upstream to the railroad crossing. The PSA lies within Township 17 South, Range 3 West, th Sections 32 and 33, and within the Muddy Creek-Willamette River watershed (5 field HUC 1709000306). The PSA includes three tax lots (1703322100300, 1703322405300, and 1703322405400) owned by UO. Other major waterbodies near the PSA include the Coast Fork and Middle Fork of the Willamette River, the McKenzie River, Muddy Creek, and Amazon Creek. page 1