For the purpose of administering and enforcing this chapter,
the terms or words used herein shall be interpreted as follows: Words
used in the present tense include the future; words in the singular
number include the plural number; and words in the plural number include
the singular number. The word "shall" is mandatory, not permissive.
All distances unless otherwise specified shall be measured horizontally.
The following terms used in this chapter have the following
meanings:[1]
A strip of vegetated land that allows safe pedestrian access
to the shore through the vegetative buffer zone.
A permanent structure used for the storage of watercraft
and associated materials and includes all structures which are totally
enclosed, have roofs or walls or any combination of these structural
parts.
The three dimensional space within which a structure is built.
That committee or commission created or designated by the
County Board under § 59.69(2)(a), Wis. Stats., to act in
all matters pertaining to County planning and zoning.
The Department of Natural Resources.
That principal structures exist within 250 feet of a proposed
principal structure in both directions along the shoreline.
The land which has been or may be hereafter covered by flood
water during the regional flood. The floodplain includes the floodway
and the flood fringe as those terms are defined in Ch. NR 116, Wis.
Adm. Code.
Forestry management practices that promote sound management
of a forest. Generally accepted forestry management practices include
those practices contained in the most recent version of the department
publication known as "Wisconsin Forest Management Guidelines" and
identified as PUB FR-226.
An area that releases as runoff all or a majority of the
precipitation that falls on it. Impervious surface excludes frozen
soil but includes rooftops, sidewalks, driveways, parking lots, and
streets unless specifically designed, constructed, and maintained
to be pervious.
Balancing measures that are designed, implemented and function
to restore natural functions and values that are otherwise lost through
development and human activities.
Lake Superior, Lake Michigan, all natural inland lakes within
Wisconsin and all streams, ponds, sloughs, flowages and other waters
within the territorial limits of this state, including the Wisconsin
portion of boundary waters, which are navigable under the laws of
this state. Under § 281.31(2)(d), Wis. Stats., notwithstanding
any other provision of law or administrative rule promulgated thereunder,
shoreland ordinances required under § 59.692, Wis. Stats.,
and Ch. NR 115, Wis. Adm. Code, do not apply to lands adjacent to:
Farm drainage ditches where such lands are not adjacent to a
natural navigable stream or river and such lands were not navigable
streams before ditching; and
Artificially constructed drainage ditches, ponds or stormwater
retention basins that are not hydrologically connected to a natural
navigable water body.
The point on the bank or shore up to which the presence and
action of surface water is so continuous as to leave a distinctive
mark such as by erosion, destruction or prevention of terrestrial
vegetation, predominance of aquatic vegetation, or other easily recognized
characteristics.
A flood determined to be representative of large floods known
to have generally occurred in Wisconsin and which may be expected
to occur on a particular stream because of like physical characteristics,
once in every 100 years.
Normally accepted horticultural practices that do not result
in the loss of any layer of existing vegetation and do not require
earth disturbance.
Lands within the following distances from the ordinary high-water
mark of navigable waters: 1,000 feet from a lake, pond or flowage;
and 300 feet from a river or stream or to the landward side of the
floodplain, whichever distance is greater.
Also known as the "shoreland setback area" in § 59.692(1)(bn),
Wis. Stats. An area in a shoreland that is within a certain distance
of the ordinary high-water mark in which the construction or placement
of structures has been limited or prohibited under an ordinance enacted
under § 59.692, Wis. Stats.
A zoning district, created as a part of a county zoning ordinance,
comprised of shorelands that are designated as wetlands on the Wisconsin
wetland inventory maps prepared by the department.
A use which is permitted by this chapter provided that certain
conditions specified in the ordinance are met and that a permit is
granted by the Board of Adjustment or, where appropriate, the Planning
and Zoning Committee or County Board.
A principal structure or any accessory structure including
a garage, shed, boathouse, sidewalk, walkway, patio, deck, retaining
wall, porch or firepit.[2]
That circumstance where special conditions, which were not
self-created, affect a particular property and make strict conformity
with restrictions governing area, setbacks, frontage, height or density
unnecessarily burdensome or unreasonable in light of the purposes
of this chapter.
Those areas where water is at, near or above the land surface
long enough to be capable of supporting aquatic or hydrophytic vegetation
and which have soils indicative of wet conditions.
