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e liici e e <br />Current Wetland Classification Systems <br />The 1986 Grass Lake WMO plan does not classify wetlands. The Shoreview and Roseville local <br />surface water management plans (1990) both classify wetlands by relating wetland use and function <br />to maintenance and protection levels. The following points form the framework for the cities' <br />classification systems (quoted from the city plans): <br />• The intent or current use of a wetland must be considered in its classification.. <br />• The city will not provide a major maintenance effort on all of its wetlands. <br />• The city encourages the natural treatment of storm water. <br />• The city opposes the alteration of any wetland designated for water quality improvement. <br />• The city will attempt to route storm water through wetlands before discharging into <br />significant water bodies as defined in the water management organization plans. <br />• Each classification will have its own maintenance level and development limitations. <br />Both city plans use the same classification system, shown in Table 1. The Shoreview plan classifies <br />34 wetlands and the Roseville plan classifies 17 wetlands. Since the time the city plans were <br />developed and adopted, wetland regulation has changed. The biggest changes are the regulations <br />resulting from the Wetland Conservation Act of 1991 and a ~cneral push toy-~~ards pres~r~-ing <br />wetlands for their Habitat value. <br />Other wetland classification systems are currently in use by other units of government or <br />recommended by other agencies. For example, the State of Minnesota Storm-Water Advisory Group <br />published Storm-Water and Wetlands: Planning and Evaluation Guidelines for Addressing Potential <br />Impacts of Urban Storm-Water and Snow-melt Runoff on Wetlands. This document suggests <br />classification of wetlands according to their susceptibility to degradation by urban stormwater inputs. <br />Highly susceptible wetlands include sedge meadows, open bogs, coniferous bogs, calcareous fens, <br />low prairies, coniferous swamps, lowland hardwood swamps, and seasonally flooded basins. <br />Moderately susceptible wetlands include shrub-carrs, alder thickets, fresh (wet) meadows, shallow <br />marshes, and deep marshes. Slightly susceptible wetlands include floodplain forests, fresh (wet) <br />C:\TEMP\wetland_class.doc Page 1 10/22/99 <br />