Watercourse and Riparian Habitat Protection and Mitigation Requirements Ordinance - PIMA County, Arizona

ABSTRACT

On July 19, 1994, the PIMA County Board of Supervisors (Board) adopted the Watercourse and Riparian Habitat Protection and Mitigation Requirements Ordinance 1994-FC2. Its intent is to protect valuable riparian habitat areas and natural watercourses from the pressures of urban growth. The protection requirements were adopted under two ordinances simultaneously, which amended the Floodplain and Erosion Hazard Management Ordinance (FPMO) and the Pima County Zoning Code. The main provisions for the protection of riparian habitat are placed under the authority of the FPMO. A companion Zoning Code text amendment offers flexible development standards in exchange for minimizing the disturbance of riparian habitat. The ordinance and associated maps and mitigation standards meet the needs of expressed community interest in protecting valuable riparian habitat from the pressures of urban growth in Pima County. The ordinance is structured to provide flexibility in allowing development to occur in a manner more acceptable to the community. Riparian habitat protection is an integral component of Pima County's multi-objective floodplain management program