As used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:
ADVERSE IMPACTSAny modifications, alterations or effects on a feature or characteristic of public waters, wetlands or adjacent lands, including their quality, quantity, hydrology, surface area, species composition, living resources, aesthetics or usefulness for human or natural uses which are or may potentially be harmful or injurious to human health, welfare, safety or property, to biological productivity, diversity or stability or which unreasonably interfere with the enjoyment of life or property, including outdoor recreation.
AGRICULTURAL ACTIVITYThe activity of an active farm including grazing and watering livestock, irrigating crops, harvesting crops, using land for growing agricultural products, and cutting timber for sale, but shall not include the operation of a dude ranch or similar operation, or the construction of new structures associated with agricultural activities.
APPLICANTA property owner or agent of a property owner who has filed an application for a land development activity.
BUILDINGAny structure, either temporary or permanent, having walls and a roof, designed for the shelter of any person, animal, or property, and occupying more than 100 square feet of area.
CHANNELA natural or artificial watercourse with a definite bed and banks that conducts continuously or periodically flowing water.
CLEARINGAny activity that removes the vegetative surface cover.
DEDICATIONThe deliberate appropriation of property by its owner for general public use.
DEPARTMENTThe New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.
DESIGN MANUALThe New York State Stormwater Management Design Manual, most recent version including applicable updates, which serves as the official guide for stormwater management principles, methods and practices.
DETENTION STRUCTUREA permanent structure for the temporary storage of runoff, designed so as not to create a permanent pool of water, which gradually releases water over 24 hours at a rate not exceeding the predevelopment rate of runoff. This structure is used to control the peak discharge rates of stormwater and provide gravity settling of pollutants.
DEVELOPERAny person who engages in development either as the owner or the agent of the owner of property.
DEVELOPMENT or DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITY(1) Construction, installation, alteration, demolition or removal of a structure, impervious surface or drainage facility.
(2) Clearing, scraping, grubbing or otherwise removing or killing the vegetation of a site; or
(3) Adding, removing, exposing, excavating, leveling, grading, digging, burrowing, dumping, piling, dredging or otherwise significantly disturbing the soil, mud, sand or rock of a site.
DRAINAGE SYSTEMThe system through which the water flows from the land. It includes stormwater, watercourses, water bodies, groundwater and wetlands.
EROSIONThe wearing away or washing away of soil by the action of wind or water.
EROSION CONTROL MANUALThe most recent version of the "New York Standards and Specifications for Erosion and Sediment Control" manual, commonly known as the "Blue Book."
FIRST FLUSHThe first 1/2 inch of runoff or the runoff generated from a one-year storm event, whichever is greater, from all land areas that have been made more impervious than predevelopment conditions through land clearing, grading, construction and/or development activities.
FLOODThe temporary rise in the level of any water body, watercourse or wetland which results in the inundation of areas not ordinarily covered by water.
GRADINGExcavation or fill of material, including the resulting conditions thereof.
IMPERVIOUS COVERThose surfaces, improvements and structures that cannot effectively infiltrate rainfall, snowmelt and water (e.g., building rooftops, pavement, sidewalks, driveways, gravel areas, etc.).
IMPERVIOUS SURFACEA surface which has been compacted or covered with a layer of material so that it is highly resistant to infiltration by water. It includes semi-impervious areas such as compacted clay, as well as most conventionally surfaced streets, roofs, sidewalks, parking lots and other similar structures.
INDUSTRIAL STORMWATER PERMITA state pollutant discharge elimination system permit issued to a commercial industry or group of industries which regulates the pollutant levels associated with industrial stormwater discharges or specifies pollution control strategies.
INFILTRATIONThe process of percolating stormwater into the subsoil.
INFILTRATION BASINA permanent structure designed to recharge stormwater runoff to groundwater.
JURISDICTIONAL WETLANDAn area that is inundated or saturated by surface water or groundwater at a frequency and duration sufficient to support a prevalence of vegetation typically adapted for life in saturated soil conditions, commonly known as hydrophytic vegetation.
LAND DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITYConstruction activity including clearing, grading, excavating, soil disturbance or placement of fill that results in land disturbance of equal to or greater than one acre, or activities disturbing less than one acre of total land area that is part of a larger common plan of development or sale, even though multiple separate and distinct land development activities may take place at different times on different schedules.
MAINTENANCE AGREEMENTA legally recorded document that acts as a property deed restriction, and which provides for long-term maintenance of stormwater management practices.
NATURAL SYSTEMSSystems which predominately consist of or use those communities of plants, animals, bacteria and other flora and fauna which occur indigenously on the land, in the soil or in the water.
NONPOINT SOURCE POLLUTIONPollution from any source other than from any discernible, confined, and discrete conveyances, and shall include, but not be limited to, pollutants from agricultural, silvicultural, mining, construction, subsurface disposal and urban runoff sources.
OWNERThe person in whom is vested the fee ownership, dominion or title of property, i.e., the proprietor. This term may also include a tenant, if chargeable under his lease for the maintenance of the property, and any agent of the owner or tenant, including a developer.
PERSONAny and all persons, natural or artificial, and includes any individual, firm, corporation, government agency, business trust, partnership, association, two or more persons having a joint or common interest or any other legal entity.
PHASINGClearing a parcel of land in distinct pieces or parts, with the stabilization of each piece completed before the clearing of the next.
POLLUTANT OF CONCERNSediment or a water quality measurement that addresses sediment (such as total suspended solids, turbidity or siltation) and any other pollutant that has been identified as a cause of impairment of any water body that will receive a discharge from the land development activity.
RECEIVING BODIES OF WATERAny water bodies, watercourses or wetlands into which surface waters flow either naturally, in man-made ditches or in closed conduit systems.
RECHARGEThe replenishment of underground water reserves.
RETENTION STRUCTUREA permanent structure which provides for the storage of runoff by means of a permanent pool of water without release except by means of evaporation, infiltration or attenuated release when runoff volume exceeds the permanent storage capacity.
SEDIMENTThe fine particulate material, whether mineral or organic, that is in suspension or has settled in a water body.
SEDIMENT FACILITYAny structure or area which is designed to hold runoff water until suspended particles have settled.
SENSITIVE AREASCold water fisheries, shellfish beds, swimming beaches, groundwater recharge areas, water supply reservoirs, and habitats for threatened, endangered or special concern species.
SITEAny tract, lot or parcel of land, or combination of tracts, lots or parcels of land, which are in one ownership or are contiguous and in diverse ownership where development is to be performed as part of a unit, subdivision or project.
STABILIZATIONThe use of practices that prevent exposed soil from eroding.
STOP-WORK ORDERAn order issued which requires that all construction activity on a site be stopped.
STORMWATERRainwater, surface runoff, snowmelt and drainage.
STORMWATER HOTSPOTA land use or activity that generates higher concentrations of hydrocarbons, trace metals or toxicants than are found in typical stormwater runoff, based on monitoring studies.
STORMWATER MANAGEMENTThe use of structural or nonstructural practices that are designed to reduce stormwater runoff and mitigate its adverse impacts on property, natural resources and the environment.
STORMWATER MANAGEMENT FACILITYOne or a series of stormwater management practices installed, stabilized and operating for the purpose of controlling stormwater runoff.
STORMWATER MANAGEMENT OFFICERAn employee or officer designated by the municipality to accept and review stormwater pollution prevention plans, forward the plans to the applicable municipal board and inspect stormwater management practices. Plan reviews and site inspections may be delegated to a consulting engineer and/or a consultant paid for through the applicant's escrow account; however, a municipal employee or board member must make the final approval.
STORMWATER MANAGEMENT PRACTICES (SMP)Measures, either structural or nonstructural, that are determined to be the most effective, practical means of preventing flood damage and preventing or reducing point source or nonpoint source pollution inputs to stormwater runoff and water bodies.
STRUCTUREThat which is built or constructed, an edifice or building or any piece of work artificially built or composed of parts joined together in some definite manner, but shall not include fences or signs.
SURFACE WATERS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORKLakes, bays, sounds, ponds, impounding reservoirs, springs, wells, rivers, streams, creeks, estuaries, marshes, inlets, canals, the Atlantic Ocean within the territorial seas of the State of New York and all other bodies of surface water, natural or artificial, inland or coastal, fresh or salt, public or private (except those private waters that do not combine or effect a junction with natural surface or underground waters), which are wholly or partially within or bordering the state or within its jurisdiction. Storm sewers and waste treatment systems, including treatment ponds or lagoons which also meet the criteria of this definition are not waters of the state. This exclusion applies only to man-made bodies of water which neither were originally created in waters of the state (such as a disposal area in wetlands) nor resulted from impoundment of waters of the state.
VEGETATIONAll plant growth, including trees, shrubs, herbs, vines, ferns, mosses and grasses.
WATER BODYAny natural or artificial pond, lake, reservoir or other area which ordinarily or intermittently contains water and which has a discernible shoreline.
WATERCOURSEA permanent or intermittent stream or other body of water, either natural or man-made, which gathers or carries surface water.
WATERSHEDA drainage area or basin contributing to the flow of water in a receiving body of water.
WATERS OR PUBLIC WATERSAny and all water on or beneath the surface of the ground. It includes the water in any watercourse, water body or drainage system. It also includes diffused surface water and water standing, percolating or flowing beneath the surface of the ground.
WATERWAYA channel that directs surface runoff to a watercourse or to the public storm drain.
WETLANDSAny area meeting the requirements of the "Federal Manual for Identifying and Delineating Jurisdictional Wetlands" (latest edition), and/or any area identified by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) as being a state-protected wetland.