Subsurface tracer study means the release of a substance tagged with radioactive material for the purpose of tracing the movement or position of the tagged substance in the well-bore or adjacent formation.
Groundwater means all water, which is below the surface of the ground in the saturation zone and in direct contact with the ground or subsoil.
Soil means all unconsolidated mineral and organic material of any origin.
Surface mining means mining by removing the overburden lying above the natural deposits and excavating directly from the natural deposits exposed, or by excavating directly from deposits lying exposed in their natural state and shall include dredge operations conducted in or on natural waterways or artificially created waterways within the state.
Surface waters means all waters of the state as defined in G.S. 143-212 except underground waters
Surface water means all water which is open to the atmosphere and subject to surface runoff.
Area of shallow flooding means a designated AO or AH Zone on a community's Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) with one percent or greater annual chance of flooding to an average depth of one to three feet where a clearly defined channel does not exist, where the path of flooding is unpredictable and indeterminate; and where velocity flow may be evident. Such flooding is characterized by ponding or sheet flow.
Water well means an excavation that is drilled, cored, bored, augered, washed, driven, dug, jetted, or otherwise constructed for the purpose of exploring for groundwater, monitoring groundwater, utilizing the geothermal properties of the ground, or extracting water from or injecting water into the aquifer. “Water well” does not include an open ditch or drain tiles or an excavation made for obtaining or prospecting for oil, natural gas, minerals, or products mined or quarried.
Underground mining means all methods of mining other than surface mining.
Invasive plant species means species of plants not historically found in California that spread outside cultivated areas and can damage environmental or economic resources. Invasive species may be regulated by county agricultural agencies as noxious species. Lists of invasive plants are maintained at the California Invasive Plant Inventory and USDA invasive and noxious weeds database.
Water surface elevation means the height, in relation to the National Geodetic Vertical Datum (NGVD) of 1929, the North American Vertical Datum (NAVD) of 1988, or other datum, where specified, of floods of various magnitudes and frequencies in the floodplains of riverine areas.
Sediment means solid material, mineral or organic, that is in suspension, is being transported, or has been moved from its site of origin by air, water or gravity as a product of erosion.
Underground area means an underground room, such as a basement, cellar, shaft or vault, providing enough space for physical inspection of the exterior of the tank situated on or above the surface of the floor.
Drainage means the removal of surface water or groundwater
Mine drainage means any drainage, and any water pumped or siphoned, from an active mining area or a post-mining area. The abbreviation “ml/l” means milliliters per liter.
Habitat means the place or type of site where an organism or population naturally occurs.
Wetlands means those areas that are inundated or saturated by surface or groundwater at a frequency and duration sufficient to support, and that under normal circumstances do support, a prevalence of vegetation typically adapted for life in saturated soil conditions. Wetlands generally include swamps, marshes, bogs, and similar areas.
Reservoir means a porous and permeable underground formation containing a natural accumulation of producible oil or gas that is confined by impermeable rock or water barriers and is individual and separate from other reservoirs.
Surface owner means any person who holds record title to the surface of the land as an owner.
Wildlife habitat means a surface water of the state used by plants and animals not considered as pathogens, vectors for pathogens or intermediate hosts for pathogens for humans or domesticated livestock and plants.
Water Surface Elevation (WSE means the height, in relation to mean sea level, of floods of various magnitudes and frequencies in the floodplains of coastal or riverine areas.
Drainage area means a geographic area within which stormwater, sediments, or dissolved materials drain to a particular receiving waterbody or to a particular point along a receiving waterbody.
Plants means living plants and specified living parts thereof, including seeds:
Surface impoundment or "impoundment" means a facility or part of a facility which is a natural topographic depression, man-made excavation, or diked area formed primarily of earthen materials (although it may be lined with man-made materials), which is designed to hold an accumulation of liquid wastes or wastes containing free liquids, and which is not an injection well. Examples of surface impoundments are holding, storage, settling, and aeration pits, ponds, and lagoons.
conservation area means any improved area within the boundaries of a redevelopment project area located within the territorial limits of the municipality in which 50% or more of the structures in the area have an age of 35 years or more. Such an area is not yet a blighted area but because of a combination of 3 or more of the following factors may be considered as a “conservation area”:
Geologically hazardous areas means areas that because of their susceptibility to erosion, sliding, earthquake, or other geological events, are not suited to the siting of commercial, residential, or industrial development consistent with public health or safety concerns.