For the purpose of this chapter, the following definitions shall apply unless the context clearly indicates or requires a different meaning.
Applicant means the person who applies for a permit.
Approval or Approved means a determination by the Director that the provisions of this chapter have been met.
Bedrock means in-place solid rock.
Best Management Practice or BMP means a physical, chemical, structural or managerial practice that prevents, reduces or treats the contamination of water, or which prevents or reduces soil erosion.
Certified Professional in Erosion and Sediment Control or CPESC means a person who has been so determined by the Soil and Water Conservation Society and the International Erosion Control Association.
Denuded means land that has had the natural vegetative cover or other cover removed, leaving the soil exposed to the elements.
Development means any human-induced change to improved or unimproved real estate, whether public or private, including but not limited to construction, installation or expansion of a building or other structure, land division, street construction, drilling and site alteration such as that due to dredging, grading, paving, parking or storage improvements, excavating, filling or clearing.
Director means those persons specified in § 15.20.020, including the Public Works Supervisor, or those persons’ designees.
Drainage Control means the collection, conveyance and discharge of stormwater.
Erosion means the wearing away of the ground surface as a result of the effects of gravity, wind, water or ice.
Erosion Control Manual means the collection of administrative rules adopted by the city to implement the purpose and intent of this chapter.
Final Grade means the finished grade of the site which conforms to the approved plan.
Grade means the vertical location of the ground surface.
Ground-Disturbing Activity means any activity that exposes soil through the use of motorized equipment.
1. Permanent: ongoing areas of exposed soils or ground disturbance, such as mining operations, farming, gardening and sports fields.
2. Temporary: short-duration ground disturbance that occurs over a very limited time frame (less than 6 months between disturbances), such as construction, fill placement, landscape installation, and other vegetation clearing activities.
Owner means the person whose name and address is listed as the owner of the property by the County Tax Assessor on the county assessment and taxation records.
Permit means an official document issued by the Director authorizing performance of a specified activity.
Person means any individual, partnership, association or corporation.
Plan means a graphic or schematic representation, with accompanying notes, schedules, specifications and other related documents.
Responsible Party means:
1. The property owner or person legally authorized to act on the owner’s behalf; or
2. Any person causing or contributing to a violation of this chapter.
Sediment means mineral or organic matter deposited as a result of erosion.
Site means any lot or parcel of land or contiguous combination where development occurs.
Slope means an inclined ground surface, the inclination of which is expressed as a ratio of horizontal distance to vertical distance.
Soil means naturally occurring superficial deposits overlaying bedrock.
Stabilization means the process of establishing an enduring soil cover of vegetation or mulch or other ground cover and may be in combination with installation of temporary or permanent structures. Stabilization shall reduce to the maximum extent practicable the erosion process and the resultant transport of sediment.
Storm Drainage System means facilities by which stormwater runoff is collected or conveyed, including but not limited to any roads with drainage systems, municipal streets, gutters, curbs, inlets, piped storm drains, culverts, pumping facilities, retention and detention basins, natural and constructed (or altered) drainage channels, reservoirs and other drainage structures.
Storm Event means a storm that produces 1/2 inch of rain or more during any 24-hour time period.
Stormwater means water runoff, snowmelt runoff or surface runoff and drainage.
Visible and Measurable means:
1. Deposits or tracking of mud, dirt, sediment or similar material exceeding 1/2 cubic foot in volume on public or private streets, adjacent property, or into the storm or surface water system, either by direct deposit, dropping, discharge or as a result of the action of erosion.
2. Evidence of concentrated flows of water over bare soils; turbid or sediment-laden flows; or evidence of on-site erosion such as rivulets on bare soil slopes, where the flow of water is not filtered or captured on the site.
3. Earth slides, mud flows, earth sloughing or other earth movement which leaves the property.
Water Body means rivers, streams, sloughs and drainages including intermittent streams and seeps, ponds, lakes, aquifers, wetlands and coastal waters.
Watercourse means a channel in which a flow of water occurs, either continuously or intermittently with some degree of regularity. Watercourses may be either natural or artificial.
Wetland means an area that is inundated or saturated by surface or groundwater at a frequency and duration sufficient to support and which under normal circumstances does support a prevalence of vegetation typically adapted for life in saturated soil conditions. Wetlands include swamps, marshes, bogs and similar areas.
(Ord. 1108, passed 1-8-2003)