5900 36TH AVE W SEPA 015 - 034 - SOUNDVIEW BUSINESS CAMPUS - VERITAS Land Use Decision Documents 2025-04-22

4.3 BASELINE CONDITIONS The study area contains two Category II wetlands (Wetlands A and C) and two Category III wetlands (Wetlands B and D; Washington Department of Ecology and City of Everett classifications) (see Appendix C). Wetland A is a small, forested, depressional, Category II wetland located in the southeastern corner of the site. This wetland drains to a culvert under 361h Avenue W, then to a stormwater system on the property to the east, and finally into Edgewater Creek to the northeast. Wetland B is a small, forested, depressional, Category III wetland located in the southeastern portion of the site that retains ponded water. This wetland has no outlet, with hydrology exiting via groundwater and evapotranspiration. Wetland C is a small, forested, depressional, Category II wetland located in the southeastern portion of the site that retains ponded water. This wetland has no outlet, with hydrology exiting via groundwater and evapotranspiration. Wetland D is a small, scrub -shrub, depressional, Category III wetland located in the center of the site. This wetland was logged in the past and vegetation is currently regenerating. This wetland has no outlet, with hydrology exiting via groundwater and evapotranspiration. According to the WDFW Priority Habitats and Species Maps and the WDFW Salmonscape web application, the nearest occurrence of priority resident and anadromous fish habitat is in Japanese Gulch Creek, approximately 0.19 miles from the site, and Edgewater Creek, approximately 0.49 miles from the site. Both of these streams flow north into Possession Sound. The land within the Japanese Gulch Creek drainage basin and Edgewater Creek drainage basin is predominately zoned for commercial and residential development, which includes a highly developed part of the City of Everett. Much of the development in the area occurred prior to stormwater detention requirements. To determine the effects of a proposed action, it is necessary to characterize environmental baseline conditions and predict the effect that the proposed action(s) will have on them. The "Matrix of Pathways and Indicators," listed below, provides a consistent, accurate method for evaluating the effects of the proposed action(s). The "Matrix of Pathways and Indicators" is from the document Making Endangered Species Act Determinations of Effect for Individual or C-rouged Actions at the Watershed Scale (NOAA Fisheries 1996). Japanese Gulch Creek and Edgewater Creek are separate and distinct waterways within the aquatic action area, and therefore separate discussions of the "Matrix of Pathways and Indicators" for these streams are provided below. Biological Evaluation 6 WRI #14109 Soundview Business Campus Revision #2: October 2, 2015