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47 <br />Floodplains and Wetlands <br />Certain areas of the City are located within a floodplain due to the City’s glaciated topography.Floodplains are <br />areas typically next to streams,rivers,wetlands and landlocked basins that are subject to seasonal flooding.All <br />lots in a designated floodplain are subject to FEMA regulations as well as regulations provided by Little <br />Canada’s Code.The attached Floodplain map shows FEMA flood zones and areas in the City that lie within 100 <br />and 500-year floodplains. <br />The City’s Floodplain Ordinance established the Floodway District and Flood Fringe District.Both Districts <br />include the areas designated as Zone AE and Zone A as designated by FEMA.The Ordinance protects water <br />channels required to carry and discharge regional floods,promote the public health and welfare,and to <br />minimize potential loss of life and property from flooding. <br />The Minnesota DNR has identified nine wetlands in Little Canada as Protected Waters under their regulation. <br />Additional wetlands have been identified through the National Wetland Inventory (NWI).Wetlands provide <br />many important benefits and ecosystem services including:filtering of pollutants,recharging groundwater <br />supplies,floodwater and stormwater retention,commercial benefits,and important habitat.Although the City <br />has mapped the NWI in this Comprehensive Plan,the NWI has not always proven reliable and thus,more <br />accurate wetland inventories compiled by the watershed district and site inspections are important tools to <br />augment the NWI. <br />Little Canada has a Wetland Systems District to regulate the alteration and development of low lands, <br />marshes,wetlands,drainage ways,water bodies,and water courses through the issuance of permits.This <br />District is imposed on any area which includes these low lands,water,and wetlands.To develop in this District <br />the developer must submit a conditional use permit,which includes a wetland systems impact plan.This plan <br />must include sediment control,water management,maintenance and landscaping guidelines,and any change <br />to the environment being proposed.The goal of this District is to limit as much as possible the potential <br />pollution,erosion,and siltation of these water resources.This District works in concurrence with the Wetland <br />Conservation Act and the State Legislature’s goal of no-net-loss of wetlands.