In this chapter the following terms have the meanings indicated. Any term not defined in this chapter shall have the meaning as defined in any chapter of the County Code. Any term not defined in the County Code in any chapter shall have its generally accepted meaning.
ACCESSORY STRUCTURE. A structure which is on the same parcel of property as a principal structure and the use of which is incidental to the use of the principal structure.
ALTERATION OF A WATERCOURSE. For the purpose of these regulations, alteration of a watercourse includes, but is not limited to widening, deepening or relocating the channel, including excavation or filling of the channel. Alteration of a watercourse does not include construction of a road, bridge, culvert, dam, or in-stream pond, unless the channel is proposed to be realigned or relocated as part of such construction.
BASE FLOOD. The flood having a 1% chance of being equaled or exceeded in any given year, the runoff that results from the 100-year storm event.
BASE FLOOD ELEVATION. The water surface elevation of the base flood in relation to the datum specified on the community’s Flood Insurance Rate Map.
BUFFER. A regulated area left undisturbed adjacent to a specific natural feature or resource.
CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECT. Any construction project by the county, incorporated municipalities, or Carroll County Board of Education, including but not limited to roads, storm drains, sewers, water lines, reservoirs, schools, and associated appurtenances.
CRITICAL AND ESSENTIAL FACILITIES. Buildings and other structures that are intended to remain operational in the event of extreme environmental loading from flood, wind, snow or earthquakes. CRITICAL AND ESSENTIAL FACILITIES typically include hospitals, fire stations, police stations, storage of critical records, facilities that handle or store hazardous materials, and similar facilities.
CROSS-SECTION. The ground line measured and plotted perpendicular to the flow of water.
COUNTY. The Board of County Commissioners of Carroll County or its designee; the Department of Land and Resource Management, or its successor agency.
DAM BREACH INUNDATION AREA. The area potentially inundated by a sudden dam failure.
DEVELOPMENT. The subdivision of land; any man-made change to improved or unimproved real estate, including but not limited to structures, mining, dredging, filling, grading, paving, excavation or storage of materials and equipment.
DISTURBANCE. Any activity on a development site requiring the grading, grubbing, excavating, filling, or otherwise modifying the existing topography.
FEMA. Federal Emergency Management Agency.
FILL. Includes but is not limited to earthen soils, rock, rubble, construction debris, woody debris, and trash.
FLOOD or FLOODING. A general and temporary condition of partial or complete inundation of normally dry land areas from:
(1) The overflow of inland waters, and/or
(2) The unusual and rapid accumulation or runoff of surface waters from any source.
FLOOD INSURANCE RATE MAP (FIRM). An official map on which the Federal Emergency Management Agency has delineated special flood hazard areas to indicate the magnitude and nature of flood hazards, to designate applicable flood zones, and to delineate floodways, if applicable. FIRMs that have been prepared in digital format, or converted to digital format, are referred to as Digital FIRMs (DFIRM).
FLOOD INSURANCE STUDY (FIS). The official report in which the Federal Emergency Management Agency has provided flood profiles and water surface elevations.
FLOOD ZONE. A designation for areas that are shown on Flood Insurance Rate Maps:
(1) Zone A. Special flood hazard areas subject to inundation by the 1% annual chance (100-year) flood; base flood elevations are not determined.
(2) Zone AE. Special flood hazard areas subject to inundation by the 1% annual chance (100-year) flood; base flood elevations are determined.
(3) Zone X (shaded). Areas subject to inundation by the 0.2% annual chance (500-year) flood.
(4) Zone X (unshaded). Areas outside of Zones designated A, AE, X (shaded).
FLOODPLAIN. Any land area susceptible to being inundated by water from any source.
FLOODPLAIN PROTECTION ELEVATION (FPE). The elevation of the base flood plus three feet of freeboard.
FREEBOARD. An increment of elevation added to the base flood elevation to provide a factor of safety for uncertainties in calculations, wave actions, subsidence, or other unpredictable effects.
INSTITUTION. A school, church, day care center, hospital, medical clinic, library, public safety facility, public office, or similar facility.
INUNDATION. To be completely covered with water from the base flood or dam breach.
MANUAL. The Carroll County Floodplain Management Manual.
ONE HUNDRED- (100-) YEAR STORM EVENT. A storm that has a 1% chance of being equaled or exceeded in any given year, as determined by the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration and the National Weather Service.
PERSON. Includes the federal government, the state, any county, municipal corporation, or other political subdivision of the state, or any of their units, or an individual, receiver, trustee, guardian, executor, administrator, fiduciary, or representative of any kind, or any partnership, firm, association, public or private corporation, or any other entity.
PRE-EXISTING LOT. Any property created by record plat prior to April 23, 1963 or created by deed prior to July 1, 1989.
SPECIAL FLOOD HAZARD AREA (SFHA). The land in the floodplain subject to a 1% or greater chance of flooding in any given year. Special flood hazard areas are designated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency in Flood Insurance Studies and on Flood Insurance Rate Maps as Zones A, AE as shown on the FIRMs for Carroll County.
STREAM. A part of a water conveyance, either naturally or artificially created, that contains intermittent or perennial base flow of groundwater origin, but not including a ditch, pipe, or other structure that conveys surface runoff exclusively from storm events.
STREAM BUFFER. All lands lying within a variable distance measured from the top of each normal bank of any stream as defined in the Water Resource Management Manual (see Chapter 154).
STRUCTURE. That which is built or constructed; specifically, a walled and roofed building, including a gas or liquid storage tank that is principally above ground, as well as a manufactured home.
SUBDIVISION. Any division of a parcel of land into two or more lots or parcels for the purpose, whether immediate or future, of transfer of ownership, sale, lease, or development, including those divisions referred to as off conveyances.
ULTIMATE STUDY. A hydrologic analysis prepared by a professional engineer or land surveyor and performed to determine the base flood after full development of the contributing watershed, based on existing zoning (ultimate development), and a corresponding hydraulic analysis performed to delineate the ultimate development floodplain (ultimate floodplain).
VARIANCE. A grant of relief from the strict application of one or more technical requirements of these regulations.
VIOLATION. Any construction or development in a floodplain that is being performed without an issued permit or approval. The failure of a structure or other development for which a permit or approval is issued to be fully compliant with these regulations and the conditions of the issued permit or approval. A structure or other development without the required design certifications, the Elevation Certificate, or other evidence of compliance required is presumed to be a violation until such time as the required documentation is provided.
WATER-CONVEYING STRUCTURE. A water conveyance, including but not limited to bridges, culverts, dikes, flumes, or levees.
WATERCOURSE. The channel, including channel banks and bed, of nontidal waters of the state.
WETLAND. An area that meets the conditions for a wetland according to the Federal Manual for Identifying and Delineating Jurisdictional Wetlands, dated January, 1987, or subsequent revisions.
WSEL. Water surface elevation.
(2004 Code, § 114-5) (Ord. 04-04, passed 4-5-2004; Ord. 07-08, passed 5-3-2007; Ord. 2014-10, passed 10-30-2014; Ord. 2015-07, passed 9-3-2015; Ord. 2022-09, passed 8-25-2022)