1314.01 DEFINITIONS.

   (a)    As used in this chapter, certain terms are defined as follows:

      (1)    "Approving agent" means the Department of Community Development of the City of Sharonville, or its representative.

      (2)    "Bedrock" means in place solid rock.

      (3)    "Bench" means a relatively level step excavated into earth material on which fill is to be placed.

      (4)    "Compaction" means the densification of a fill by mechanical means.

      (5)    "Cut" means an excavation and the material removed in an excavation.

      (6)    "Development area" means any contiguous area included within the scope of this chapter and owned, planned or developed by one owner or as one unit, upon which earth disturbing activities are planned or under way.

      (7)    "Ditch" means an open channel either dug or natural for the purpose of drainage or irrigation with intermittent flow.

      (8)    "Drainageway" means an area of concentrated water flow other than a river, stream, ditch or grassed waterway.

      (9)    "Earth disturbing activity" means any grading, excavating, filling or other alteration of the earth's surface where natural or manmade ground cover is destroyed.

      (10)    "Erosion" means the wearing away of land surface by running water, wind, ice or other geological agents, including such processes as gravitational creep, detachment and movement of soil or rock fragments by water, wind, ice or gravity.

         A.    "Accelerated erosion" means erosion much more rapid than normal, natural or geologic erosion, primarily as a result of the influence of the activities of man.

         B.    "Gully erosion" means the erosion process whereby water accumulates in narrow channels and over short periods during and immediately after rainfall or snow or ice melt and actively removes the soil from this narrow area to considerable depths such that the channel would not be obliterated by normal smoothing or tillage operation.

         C.    "Natural erosion (geological erosion)" means wearing away of the earth's surface by water, ice or other natural agents under natural environmental conditions of climate, vegetation, etc., undisturbed by man.

         D.    "Normal erosion" means the gradual erosion of land used by man which does not greatly exceed natural erosion.

         E.    "Rill erosion" means an erosion process in which numerous small channels only several inches deep are formed and which occurs mainly on recently disturbed soils.

         F.    "Sheet erosion" means the removal of a fairly uniform layer of soil from the land surface by wind or runoff water.

      (11)    "Excavation" means the mechanical removal of earth material.

      (12)    "Fill" means the deposition of earth material by artificial means and the material used to make a fill.

      (13)    "Grade" means vertical location of the ground surface.

      (14)    "Grading" means any excavating or filling or combinations thereof.

      (15)    "Land use plan" means a written description, acceptable to the approving agent, of methods for controlling sediment pollution from accelerated erosion on a development area and for erosion caused by accelerated runoff from a development area.

      (16)    "Landslide" means the rapid downward and outward movement of large rock material or soil mass under the influence of gravity in which the movement of the soil mass occurs along an interior surface of sliding.

      (17)    "Mulching" means the application of suitable materials on the soil surface to conserve moisture, hold soil in place and aid in establishing plant cover.

      (18)    "Person" means any individual, corporation, partnership, joint venture, agency, unincorporated association, municipal corporation, county or State agency, the Federal government or any combination thereof.

      (19)    "Pollution" means the manmade or man induced alteration of the chemical, physical, biological or radiological integrity of air or water.

      (20)    "Private waters" means water within private ponds, and lakes on single properties.

      (21)    "Public waters" means that water within lakes, rivers, streams, ditches and other waters leaving a single property.

       (22)    "Rainfall intensity" means the severity of a storm of a given duration and frequency, expressed as inches of rainfall per hour.

       (23)    "Rip-rap" means stone placed on earth surfaces such as the face of a dam or the bank of a stream for protection against the action of water, waves.

       (24)    "Runoff" means the portion of rainfall, melted snow or irrigation water that flows across the ground surface and eventually is returned to streams.

          A.    "Accelerated runoff" means increased runoff due to less permeable surface area primarily caused by the activities of man.

          B.    "Peak rate of runoff" means the maximum rate of runoff for any storm.

          C.    "Volume of runoff" means the quantity of runoff for any storm.

       (25)    "Sediment" means solid material, both mineral and organic, that is in suspension, is being transported or has been moved from its site of origin by air, water, gravity or ice and has come to rest on the earth's surface either above or below sea level.

       (26)    "Slip" means landslide as defined in subsection (a)(16) hereof.

       (27)    "Slope" means an inclined ground surface, the inclination of which is expressed as a ratio of horizontal distance to vertical distance.

       (28)    "Sloughing" means a slip or downward movement of an extended layer of soil frequently resulting from the undermining action of water, waves, or the earth disturbing activity of man.

      (29)    "Soil loss" means soil moved from a given site by the forces of erosion and redeposited at another site on land or in a body of water.

      (30)    "Storm duration" means the average length of time that a storm of a given frequency and intensity can be expected to last. For the purpose of runoff computation, it is taken as the time of concentration.

      (31)    "Storm frequency" means the average period of time within which a storm of a given duration and intensity will be equalled or exceeded; also expressed as a percentage of likelihood that a storm of a given intensity and duration will reoccur within one year.

    (32)    "Stream" means a body of water running or flowing on the earth's surface or channel in which such flow occurs. Flow may be seasonally intermittent.

      (33)    "Swale" means a low lying stretch of land which gathers or carries surface water runoff.

      (34)    "Terrace" means a relatively level step constructed in the face of a graded slope surface for drainage and maintenance purposes.

      (35)    "Watercourse" means a permanent stream, intermittent stream, river, brook, creek, channel or ditch for water whether natural or man-made.

          (Ord. 91-66. Passed 7-6-91; Ord. 2015-36. Passed 9-8-15.)