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will increase only modestly, even after an inch of rain has fallen on the area. Without <br /> (9. this natural stormwater control, upper Amazon Creek would look more like a river after <br /> a heavy rainfall. <br /> The property owner's current plan envisions 110 houses on this site, resulting in <br /> approximately 20 acres of impervious surface area, according to city estimates. Almost <br /> the entire site has steep slopes in excess of 10 percent. <br /> The benefits from maintaining this land in its natural state could be quantified in terms <br /> of the monetary savings resulting from not building and maintaining downstream <br /> stormwater management facilities and programs that would otherwise be needed. <br /> Water Quality Benefits <br /> As with stormwater management, the EFAH land provides a unique benefit in <br /> maintaining local water quality. The natural forest reduces soil erosion by reducing the <br /> volume and speed of runoff from heavy rains. Soils are stabilized by natural vegetation. <br /> Sediments are filtered by plants and organic matter on the forest floor. Natural wetlands <br /> on this site serve to further enhance water quality. Overstory trees provide shade, <br /> keeping water temperatures low. <br /> Development of this site will disrupt the natural hydrology of the area, impacting <br /> wetlands, accelerating runoff, increasing soil erosion, and degrading water quality. <br /> Stream bed will be deepened and channelized by the increased runoff. Downstream <br /> impacts include turbidity and sedimentation that cause harm to salmon- bearing streams. <br /> Accelerated runoff due to tree removal, soil compaction, and impervious surfaces from <br /> roads, homes and driveways, will reduce the amount of water stored in the ground. <br /> Without fully charged groundwater, streams will dry out more quickly in the summer, <br /> harming the fish and wildlife that depend on them. <br /> • <br /> Residential Land Supply <br /> Preservation of this site will have almost no impact on the residential land supply within <br /> the Urban Growth Boundary. An appraisal on this property done for the_city by Duncan <br /> and Brown, Inc. on October of 2004, shows that the practical development of this site is <br /> with only seven homesites. This is based on an assessment by Poage Engineering that <br /> this is the highest and best use of this property, given the many physical constraints of <br /> the site. <br /> Fodor & Associates - Page 2 <br />