For the purpose of this chapter, the following terms shall have the meanings provided in this section:
(a) "Development Engineer" means a licensed professional engineer designated by the Community Development Director to be responsible for performance of all engineering and inspection services as may be assigned by the Community Development Director.
(b) "Excavation" includes removal, stripping or disturbance of soil, earth, sand, rock, gravel or other similar substance from the ground and includes dredging, draining, unnaturally flooding or otherwise altering a wetland.
(c) "Filling" includes the placing of any soil, earth, sand, rock, gravel or other similar substance on the ground or within a wetland.
(d) "Grading" includes any operation involving either excavation and/or filling.
(e) "Ground" includes, but is not limited to, land below the banks and beds of any river.
(f) "Hydric soils" includes, but is not limited to soil types as indicated by the Soil Survey of Portage County, Ohio, prepared by the United States Department of Agriculture. (See also Section 907.06(a)(1)L.)
(g) "Retaining wall" includes any change in the grade of the surface of the ground creating a difference in vertical elevation between two points of more than four feet and creating a slope greater than one foot vertical to one foot horizontal.
(h) "Wetland" means an area that is inundated or saturated by surface water or groundwater at a frequency and duration sufficient to support, and that under normal circumstances does support, a prevalence of vegetation typically adapted for life in saturated soil conditions, commonly known as hydrophytic vegetation. Wetlands shall possess three essential characteristics:
(1) Hydrophytic vegetation;
(2) Hydric soils; and
(3) Wetland hydrology.
(Ord. 1990-44. Passed 8-8-90; Ord. 1991-23. Passed 5-1-91.)