Every person owning or occupying property through which a watercourse passes shall keep and maintain that part of the watercourse within the property free of trash, debris, and other obstacles that may reasonably be expected to contaminate or impede the flow of water through the watercourse. In addition, the owner or occupant shall remove or maintain existing privately owned structures within or adjacent to a watercourse, so that such structures will not become a hazard to the use, function, or physical integrity of the watercourse. No person shall remove native vegetation in the vicinity of a watercourse except where it poses an imminent hazard to human health and safety or nearby structures. No person shall remove vegetation in such a manner as to increase the vulnerability of the watercourse to erosion. Within the limits established through any required State or Federal permits, the property owner or lessee shall maintain and stabilize the banks of the watercourse within their property lines in order to protect against erosion and degradation of the watercourse. Watercourse banks shall be stabilized using planted vegetation and natural materials instead of hard materials (e.g., concrete, asphalt, rock, logs, lumber, etc.) wherever practicable. (Ord. 166, passed 12-10-2019)