§ 155.04 DEFINITIONS.

   For the purpose of this chapter, the following definitions shall apply unless the context clearly indicates or requires a different meaning.

   ACCELERATED EROSION. Erosion much more rapid than normal, natural or geologic erosion, primarily as a result of the influence of the activities of man.

   ACCELERATED RUNOFF. Increased runoff due to less permeable surface area primarily caused by urbanization.

   ACRE. A measurement of area equaling 43,560 square feet.

   APPROVING AGENCY. The City Planning Commission.

   CHANNEL. A natural stream that conveys water; a ditch or channel excavated for the flow of water.

   CRITICAL STORM. That storm intensity for which it and more frequent storms will need peak runoff rates reduced to compensate for the increase in runoff volume caused by development.

   DEVELOPMENT AREA. Any contiguous area owned by one person or operated as one development unit included within the scope of § 155.03 upon which earth disturbing activities are planned or underway.

   DISTRICT. The Medina County Soil and Water Conservation District.

   DITCH. An open channel, either dug or natural, for the purpose of drainage or irrigation with intermittent flow. See also “stream”, “drainageway” and “grassed waterway” as defined in this section.

   DRAINAGEWAY. An area of concentrated water flow other than river, stream, ditch or grassed waterway.

   EARTH DISTURBING ACTIVITY. Any grading, excavating, filling or other alteration of the earth’s surface where natural or man-made ground cover is destroyed and which may result in or contribute to erosion and sediment pollution.

   EROSION or SOIL EROSION.

      (1)   The wearing away of the land surface by running water, wind, ice or other geological agents, including such processes as gravitational creep.

      (2)   Detachment and movement of soil or rock fragments by water, wind, ice or gravity.

   EROSION AND SEDIMENT CONTROL. The control of soil material, both mineral and organic, to minimize the removal of soil material from the land surface and to prevent its transport out of a disturbed area by means of wind, water, ice, gravity, or any combination of those forces.

   GENERAL CONSTRUCTION PERMIT. This permit meets the requirements of the federal Water Pollution Control Act, which was enacted in 1972. It provides that the discharge of Pollutants to water of the United States from any point source is unlawful unless the discharge is in compliance with a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit.

   GRASSED WATERWAYS. A broad and shallow natural course or constructed channel covered with erosion-resistant grasses or similar herbaceous cover and used to conduct surface water.

   GULLY EROSION. 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 operations.

   NATIONAL POLLUTANT DISCHARGE ELIMINATION SYSTEM (NPDES) PROGRAM. Mandated by Congress under the Clean Water Act, the NPDES Stormwater Program is a comprehensive two-phased national program for addressing the non-agricultural sources of stormwater discharges which adversely affect the quality of our nation’s waters.

   NATURAL EROSION or GEOLOGICAL EROSION. Wearing away of the earth’s surface by water, ice or other natural agents under natural environmental conditions of climate, vegetation, and the like, undisturbed by man.

   NORMAL EROSION. The gradual erosion of land used by man which does not greatly exceed natural erosion.

   NOTICE OF INTENT (NOI). Permit required by the Ohio EPA prior to earth disturbing activities of one acre or more of land.

   PEAK RATE OF RUNOFF. The maximum rate of runoff for any storm.

   PERSON. Any individual, corporation, partnership, joint venture, agency, unincorporated association, municipal corporation, county, or state agency within Ohio, the federal government or any combination thereof.

   PLAN or SEDIMENT CONTROL PLAN. A written description, acceptable to the approving agent, of methods for controlling sediment pollution from accelerated erosion on a development area and/or from erosion caused by accelerated runoff from a development area.

   POLLUTION. The man-made or man-induced alteration of the chemical, physical and biological integrity of air and water.

   PUBLIC WATERS. That water within the lakes, except private ponds and lakes on single properties, rivers, streams, ditches and/or waters leaving the respective property.

   RAINWATER AND LAND DEVELOPMENT MANUAL. Ohio’s standards for storm water management, land development, and urban watercourse protection. The most current edition of these standards shall be used with this regulation.

   RILL EROSION. An erosion process in which numerous small channels only several inches deep are formed; occurs mainly on recently disturbed soils.

   RUNOFF. The portion of rainfall, melted snow or irrigation water that flows across the ground surface and eventually is returned to streams.

   SEDIMENT. Soil 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.

   SHEET EROSION. The removal of a fairly uniform layer of soil from the land surface by wind or runoff water.

   SLOUGHING. 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.

   SOIL LOSS. Soil moved from a given site by the forces of erosion and redeposited at another site on land or in a body of water.

   STORM FREQUENCY. The average period of time which a storm of a given duration and intensity can be expected to be equaled or exceeded.

   STREAM. A body of water running or flowing on the earth’s surface or channel in which such flow occurs, plow is continuous or seasonally intermittent.

   SUBSOIL. That part of the soil below the surface soil or plow layer.

   SURFACE SOIL. The uppermost part, five to eight inches, of soil commonly stirred by tillage implements or its equivalent in uncultivated soil.

   URBAN AREA. Areas described in the scope of Chapter 155 as set forth in § 155.03.

(‘65 Code, § 1391.04) (Ord. 66-79, passed 6-5-79; Am. Ord. 08-027, passed 5-20-08; Am. Ord. 13-011, passed 3-19-13)