TO: Mayor and City Council
THROUGH: Krishna Namburi, City Manager
FROM: Kristin Retherford, Director, Community Planning & Development
SUBJECT:
title
Resolution to Adopt the Salem Natural Floodplain Functions Plan and Floodplain Species Assessment
Ward(s): All Wards
Councilor(s): All Councilors
Neighborhood(s): All Neighborhoods
Result Area(s): Natural Environment Stewardship
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SUMMARY:
summary
This resolution will adopt the Salem Natural Floodplain Functions Plan and Floodplain Species Assessment. The Plan identifies floodplain species of concern in the Salem area and provides recommendations for actions the City can take to support conservation or recovery of those species.
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ISSUE:
Shall Council adopt Resolution Number 2026-9 to adopt the Salem Natural Floodplain Functions Plan and Floodplain Species Assessment?
RECOMMENDATION:
recommendation
Adopt Resolution Number 2026-9 to adopt the Salem Natural Floodplain Functions Plan and Floodplain Species Assessment.
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FACTS AND FINDINGS:
Resolution 2026-9 (Attachment 1) proposes to adopt the Salem Natural Floodplain Functions Plan and Floodplain Species Assessment. These plans were prepared by Ken Bierly, representative of the Glenn-Gibson Watershed Council, in coordination with City staff. These documents are long range planning guidance for the Floodplain Management Program and do not amend the City’s Comprehensive Plan or Land Use Regulations.
1. Plan Purpose
The Salem Natural Floodplain Functions Plan and Floodplain Species Assessment (Plan) is included in Attachment 1. A Floodplain Species Assessment identifies the threatened and endangered species that have critical habitat within the floodplain of a specified community. A Natural Floodplain Functions Plan recommends actions that support conservation or recovery of those species and their habitat within the floodplain.
2. Floodplain Species Assessment Overview
The Floodplain Species Assessment is included in Appendix B of the Salem Natural Floodplain Functions Plan (Attachment 2). The Floodplain Species Assessment identifies ten listed threatened or endangered species within the Salem area. These species are listed on page 10 of the Plan and further described within Appendix B (Attachment A, pg. 48-97).
While there are ten listed threatened or endangered species found in the Salem area, the plan focuses on three species: the Upper Willamette Chinook Salmon, Upper Willamette Steelhead, and the Northwestern Pond Turtle. These species were chosen primarily due to their reliance on floodplain habitat and the identification of “critical habitat” for these species within the Salem area. The identified action items of the Plan focus on actions the City can take to support conservation and recovery of these species.
3. Natural Floodplain Functions Plan Overview
The Salem Natural Floodplain Functions Plan, included as Attachment 2, provides an overview of the floodplain and floodplain species of concern within the Salem area; describes development impacts to critical habitat; provides conceptual recommendations for habitat restoration; and provides specific recovery action items the City can take to restore critical habitat for identified species.
The Plan identifies nine (9) recovery actions that will support the recovery of threatened and endangered species and their floodplain habitat. These action items are summarized below and further described on pages 33-34 of the Plan:
1. Development Dedication: Establish requirements for conservation easements over floodplain areas that provide, or have the potential to provide, beneficial natural floodplain functions.
2. Public Facilities: Review public facilities, such as roads and utility lines, and consider their placement within floodplain areas. Create a program to acquire floodplain properties during Capital Improvement Projects within the floodplain.
3. Fish Passage Design: Develop long-term plans and designs to address fish passage barriers.
4. Minto Island Revetment: Develop design and plans for improved fish passage within the Minto Island Revetment at Minto-Brown Island Park.
5. Willamette River Floodplain Mitigation Bank: Establish a floodplain mitigation banking program.
6. Mill Creek Fish Passage: Work with partners to remove or remediate fish passage barriers along Mill Creek.
7. Mill Creek Floodplain Restoration: Work with partners to develop a plan for floodplain protection of State-owned properties in the Mill Creek Floodplain and restore native prairie habitats along the waterway.
8. Gravel Pit Reclamation: Develop a gravel pit reclamation plan that incorporates salmon and steelhead habitat enhancement.
9. Gravel Pit Property Acquisition: Acquire gravel pit properties upon completion of operations and reclamation plan establishment.
The Plan provides high level guidance for each action item and identifies how they will benefit species of concern within the Salem area. Implementation of each action item will require additional analysis, program development, and City Staff or City Council review prior to implementation.
4. Community Rating System Program
Salem is an active participant in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) Community Rating System (CRS). The CRS program is a voluntary incentive program that recognizes and encourages community floodplain management activities that exceed the minimum NFIP requirements. The CRS program recognizes a community’s efforts to reduce flood risk, facilitate accurate insurance ratings, promote the awareness of flood insurance, and preserve the natural and beneficial functions of floodplains. Due to these efforts, FEMA has awarded the City of Salem a Class 3 rating under the Community Rating System, which allows residents to receive a 35 percent discount on federally backed flood insurance premiums. City Council adoption of the Plan will provide the City with additional Community Rating System (CRS) credit points towards lower flood insurance premiums.
5. Conformance with Adopted Plans
Adoption of this plan, and action items within this plan, are consistent with other adopted City of Salem plans and policies. The Floodplain Management Plan identifies two action items related to adoption of a Natural Floodplain Functions Plan and Floodplain Species Assessment (NR4, NR6). The Salem Area Comprehensive Plan identifies multiple action items that encourage minimizing impacts on natural resources within the floodplain and establishing programs and regulations to protect the environment from loss (CC 2.3; PF3.6). The Stormwater Master Plan establishes a policy to purchase floodplain property that cannot be reasonably protected and use that property for riparian habitat enhancement (Pol 3.13). The Climate Action Plan calls for the City to identify land in the floodplain that can be acquired for restoration and flood mitigation (NR19). The Natural Hazards Mitigation Plan calls for continued improvement of the City’s CRS rating (FL2).
BACKGROUND:
In May of 2023, City Council provided a letter of support for the Glenn-Gibson Watershed Council’s grant application to the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board (OWEB) for funding to prepare a Floodplain Species Assessment and Natural Floodplain Functions Plan for the floodplain areas in Salem. The grant was awarded by OWEB in October 2023. The first phase of plan preparation was drafting the Floodplain Species Assessment, which was presented to the Planning Commission in November of 2024 and completed in 2025. The second phase of plan preparation was drafting the Natural Floodplain Functions Plan, which was presented to the Planning Commission in January of 2026. The Planning Commission generally supported the Plan. Based on discussion during the Planning Commission meeting, staff updated the Plan to include discussion of the Oregon Conservation Strategy, which is a State-wide planning document that identifies conservation areas and conservation species of concern throughout the state. Generally, the Plan aligns with the Oregon Conservation strategy and action items within the Plan will provide broad benefits to listed and non-listed species identified in the strategy.
Laurel Christian
Infrastructure Planner III
Attachments:
1. Resolution 2026-9
2. Natural Floodplain Functions Plan and Floodplain Species Assessment