Every person responsible for property through which a waterway passes shall maintain and stabilize that portion of the waterway that is within the responsible person’s property lines in order to protect against erosion and degradation of the waterway originating from the property. “Maintain” and “stabilize” as used in this section means keeping that portion of the waterway that is within the property lines free of trash, debris, excessive vegetation, and other obstacles that would pollute, contaminate, or retard the flow of water through the waterway. “Maintain” also includes the maintenance of existing privately owned structures within or adjacent to a waterway, so that the structures will not become a hazard to the use, function, or physical integrity of the waterway. “Erosion” as used in this section includes the removal of bank vegetation that will result in bare slopes subject to erosion. This chapter shall not be interpreted to restrict a person responsible for property from enhancing or establishing the planting of riparian buffers or to perform maintenance within those areas. (Ord. 3223, added, 07/18/2023)