The following definitions of terms shall apply to this Chapter:
(1) "Abbreviated Plan"
shall mean a Stormwater Plan as specified in Articles V & VI having considerably fewer requirements.
(2) "Administrator"
shall mean the Director of Public Works or his/her authorized designee.
(3) "Approval"
shall mean the proposed work or completed work conforms to this Chapter in the judgment of the Administrator, or his/her authorized designee.
(4) "Applicant"
shall mean the person, party, firm, corporation, or other legal entity that proposes to engage in site development activities in Lewis County by submitting an application for any of the activities covered by this Chapter on a form furnished by the County and paying the required application fees.
(5) "Best Management Practice (BMP)"
shall mean as set forth under LCC § 17.10.020.
(6) "Biofiltration/Biofilter Facilities"
shall mean vegetative BMPs which treat stormwater by filtration through vegetation. Biofiltration facilities include, but are not limited to, grassed or vegetated swales and filter strips.
(7) "Civil Engineer"
shall mean a professional engineer licensed in the State of Washington in Civil Engineering.
(8) "Clearing or land clearing"
shall be as set forth under LCC § 17.10.030.
(10) "County Commissioners"
shall mean the Lewis County Board of County Commissioners.
(11) Critical Areas.
See Chapter 17.38 LCC.
(12) "Design Storm Event"
shall mean a theoretical storm event, of a given frequency interval and duration, used in the analysis and design of a stormwater facility.
(13) "Detention Facilities"
shall mean stormwater facilities designed to store runoff while gradually releasing it at a pre-determined controlled rate; and also includes all appurtenances associated with their designed function, maintenance, and security.
(14) "Developed Site"
shall mean the condition of the development site following completion of construction of the development including all approved phases of construction.
(15) "Development"
shall mean any project that requires building, mobile home placement or floodplain development permits or reviews under Title 15 LCC, Buildings and Construction.
(17) "Drainage Basin"
shall mean a geographic and hydrologic subunit of a watershed.
(18) "Drainage Feature"
shall mean any natural or manmade structure, facility, conveyance or topographic feature which has the potential to concentrate, convey, detain, retain, infiltrate or affect the flow rate of stormwater runoff.
(19) "Earth Material"
shall mean any rock, natural soil or fill and/or any combination thereof.
(20) "Easement"
shall mean an acquired privilege or right of use or enjoyment that a person, party, firm, corporation, municipality, or other legal entity has in the land of another.
(21) "Erosion"
shall mean the wearing away of the 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.
(22) "Erosion Control Design Storm"
shall mean the 2-year frequency, 24-hour duration storm event used for analysis and design of sedimentation and erosion control facilities.
(23) "Excavation"
shall mean the mechanical removal of earth material.
(24) "Existing Conditions"
shall mean those conditions prior to proposed development, clearing, grading, or fill including gravel roads or other gravel surfaces.
(25) "Existing Stormwater Facilities"
shall mean those facilities constructed or approved for construction prior to the effective date of this Chapter.
(26) "Geotechnical Engineer"
shall mean a practicing professional engineer licensed in the State of Washington who has at least four years of professional experience in geotechnical and landslide evaluation.
(28) "Hydrograph"
shall mean a graph of runoff rate, inflow rate or discharge rate, past a specific point over time.
(29) "Hydrograph Method"
shall mean a method of estimating a hydrograph using a mathematical simulation. Commonly accepted hydrograph methods include the Santa Barbara Urban Hydrograph Method and Soil Conservation Service TR-55 method.
(30) "Illicit Discharge"
shall mean all non-stormwater discharges to stormwater drainage systems that cause or contribute to a violation of state water quality, sediment quality, or ground water quality standards, including but not limited to sanitary sewer connections, industrial process water, interior floor drains, and greywater systems.
(31) "Impervious Surface"
shall mean a hard surface area which either prevents or retards the entry of water into the soil mantle as under natural conditions prior to development, and/or a hard surface area which causes water to run off the surface in greater quantities or an increased rate of flow from the flow present under natural conditions prior to development. Common impervious surfaces include, but are not limited to, roof tops, walkways, patios, driveways, parking lots or storage areas, concrete or asphalt paving, gravel roads, packed earthen materials, and oiled, macadam or other surfaces which similarly impede the natural infiltration of stormwater. Open, uncovered retention/detention facilities shall not be considered as impervious areas.
(32) "Land Disturbing Activity"
shall mean any activity that results in a change in the existing soil cover (both vegetative and non-vegetative) and/or the existing soil topography. Land disturbing activities include, but are not limited to demolition, clearing, grading, filling and excavation.
(33) "Maintenance"
shall mean any activity which is necessary to keep a stormwater facility in good working order so as to function as designed. Maintenance shall include complete reconstruction of a stormwater facility if reconstruction is needed in order to return the facility to good working order. Maintenance shall also include the correction of any problem on the site property which may directly impair the functions of the stormwater facilities.
(34) "Maintenance Covenant"
shall mean a binding agreement between Lewis County and the person or persons holding title to a property served by a stormwater facility whereby the property owner promises to maintain certain stormwater facilities; grants Lewis County the right to enter the subject property to inspect and to make certain repairs or perform certain maintenance procedures on the stormwater control facilities when such repairs or maintenance have not been performed by the property owner; and promises to reimburse Lewis County for the cost should the County perform such repairs or maintenance.
(35) "Maintenance Schedule"
shall mean a document detailing required stormwater facility maintenance activities to be performed at specified intervals.
(36) "Major Development"
shall mean any new development or redevelopment that: 1) includes the creation or cumulative addition of 5,000 square feet or greater of impervious surface area from the pre-development conditions; or 2) includes land disturbing activity of one acre or greater.
(38) "Minor Development"
shall mean any new development or redevelopment activity that: 1) includes the creation or addition of less than 5,000 square feet of new impervious surface area; or 2) includes land disturbing activity of less than one acre.
(39) "Minor Technical Accommodation"
shall mean permission granted from the Administrator to deviate from the provisions in Article VI provided that all of the criteria in LCC § 15.45.480 are met.
(40) "Off-site Drainage Analysis"
shall mean a study of those land areas contributing surface runoff to a development site as well as a study of the existing and predicted impacts of surface runoff from the development site on properties and drainage features that have the potential to receive stormwater from the development site.
(41) "Oil/Water Separator"
shall mean a structure or device used to remove suspended, floating or dispersed oil and greasy solids from water.
(42) "Operation and Maintenance (O&M) Manual"
shall mean a written manual prepared by a licensed civil engineer that provides a description of operation and maintenance procedures for specific stormwater control facilities, for use by operation and maintenance personnel.
(43) "Owner"
shall mean any person or persons having a legal or equitable property right or interest, whether or not said right is legal or equitable in character, including a fee owner, contract purchaser or seller, mortgagor or mortgagee, optionor or optionee, and beneficiary or grantor of a trust or deed of trust.
(44) "Pollution"
shall mean contamination or other alteration of the physical, chemical, or biological properties of waters of the state including change in temperature, taste, color, turbidity, or odor of the waters, or such discharge of any liquid, gaseous, solid, radioactive or other substance into any waters of the state as will or is likely to create a nuisance or render such waters harmful.
(45) "Pre-development Conditions"
shall mean site conditions as they existed prior to the effective date of this Chapter.
(46) "Professional Engineer"
shall mean a person who, by reason of his/her special knowledge of the mathematical and physical sciences, and the principles and methods of engineering analysis and design, acquired by professional education and practical experience, is qualified to practice engineering as attested by his/her legal registration as a professional engineer in the State of Washington.
(47) "Project Engineer"
shall mean the professional engineer responsible for the design of the project, who will affix his/her seal on the project drainage plans and drainage analysis. The project engineer shall be licensed in the state of Washington.
(48) "Redevelopment"
shall mean any land disturbing activity occurring on existing developed property.
(49) "Retention Facilities"
shall mean drainage facilities designed to store runoff for gradual release by evaporation, plant transpiration, or infiltration into the soil. Retention facilities shall include all such drainage facilities designed so that none of the runoff entering the facility will be discharged as surface water. Retention facilities shall include all appurtenances associated with their designed function, maintenance, and security.
(50) "Runoff Treatment BMP's"
shall mean a BMP that is designed to remove pollutants that are contained in runoff. These BMP's use a variety of mechanisms to remove pollutants from stormwater including sedimentation, filtration, plant uptake, ion exchange, absorption, and bacterial decomposition.
(52) "Site Development Activity"
shall mean the alteration of topography, clearing, paving, grading, construction, alteration of storm water systems, site preparation, or other activity commonly associated with a land use development permit.
(53) "Soils Investigation Report"
shall mean a study of soils on a subject property with the primary purpose of characterizing and describing the soils. The soils investigation report shall be prepared by a qualified engineer, who shall be directly involved in the soil characterization either by performing the investigation or by directly supervising employees.
(54) "Source Control BMP's"
shall mean a BMP that is intended to prevent pollutants from entering stormwater. Examples include erosion control practices, maintenance of stormwater facilities, and directing wash water and similar discharges to the sanitary sewer or a dead end sump.
(55) "Stabilized"
shall mean the application of BMP's sufficient to reasonably protect soil from the erosive forces of raindrop impact and flowing water. Examples include, but are not limited to, vegetative establishment, mulching, plastic covering, the early application of gravel base, and outlet and channel protection.
(57) "Stormwater"
shall mean the surface water runoff that results from all natural forms of precipitation.
(58) "Stormwater Facility"
shall mean a component of a manmade drainage feature, or features, designed or constructed to perform a particular function or multiple functions. Stormwater facilities include, but are not limited to, pipes, swales, ditches, culverts, street gutters, detention basins, retention basins, wetponds, constructed wetlands, infiltration devices, catch basins, oil/water separators, sediment basins, and modular pavement. Stormwater facilities shall not include building gutters, downspouts, and drains serving one single-family residence.
(59) "Stormwater Plan"
shall mean drawings and documents submitted in compliance with Articles V & VI of this Chapter.
(60) "Stormwater Quality Control"
shall mean the control of the introduction of pollutants into stormwater and the process of separating pollutants from stormwater. Stormwater quality control facilities include, but are not limited to, source controls, biofiltration/biofilter facilities, wetponds, wetland forebays, oil/water separators, constructed wetlands, and erosion and sedimentation control facilities.
(61) "Stormwater Quantity Control"
shall mean the control of the rate and/or volume of stormwater released from a development site. Stormwater quantity control facilities include, but are not limited to, detention and retention facilities.
(62) "Water Quality Design Storm Event"
used for the design of water quality treatment facilities shall be the 6-month, 24-hour storm event. If precipitation data from isopluvial maps is not available for this design storm event, then use 64% of the 2-year, 24-hour storm event as equivalent to the 6-month, 24-hour storm event.
(Ord. 1161 § 2, (1998))