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

Although the project will involve clearing and grading within the action area, this change will not have a significant impact on the level of disturbance within the watershed. This is mainly due to the existing high level of disturbance resultant from surrounding developed areas. As a result, this proposed project will maintain the baseline condition for this parameter. Riparian Reserves Within the Japanese Gulch Creek drainage basin, steeply sloped forested area buffers the reaches near the project area. However, the dense development downstream at the stream's mouth into Possession sound, and the Boeing railroad spur have fragmented some riparian areas. Based on these findings, riparian reserves are at risk in the Japanese Gulch Creek action area. The proposed project will maintain the baseline condition for this parameter. 4.3.2 Edgewater Creek Matrix of Pathways and Indicators While the City of Everett classifies the entirety of Edgewater Creek as non -fish bearing, Washington State Department of Natural Resources -and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife classify the reach within the lower wetland area north of Debralon Lane as potentially fish bearing. The reasons described by the City of Everett for the non -fish bearing status are lack of past evidence of fish presence, high flow (velocity barriers) and low flow (depth barriers) conditions throughout the year, and the stream outfalling to Possession Sound via a significant drop to the beach from a 24-inch culvert (physical barrier). However, water velocity is generally only considered to exclude fish presence during flash events, and an on -site investigation by Wetland Resources, Inc. revealed that the culvert draining the stream into Possession Sound is at ground level, below high tide, with no significant drop. The culvert is capped by a trash rack with spacing wide enough to allow for fish passage. A lack of past fish presence does not preclude the possibility of future use. Given these considerations, the lower reach of Edgewater Creek (north of Debralon Lane) will be treated as fish bearing habitat for the purposes of this report. A discussion of environmental parameters for Edgewater Creek is provided below. Table 3. Matrix of Pathways and Indicators Summary of Baseline Conditions within the action area for Edgewater Creek Pathways: Environmental Baseline Effects of the Action Indicators Properly At Not Restore Maintain Degrade Functioning Risk Properly Functioning Temperature X X Sediment/ X X Jurbidity Chemical X X Contamination/ Nutrients Physical X X Barriers Biological Evaluation 12 WRI #14109 ' Soundview Business Campus Revision #2: October 2, 2015