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.
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.
Surface waters means all waters of the state as defined in G.S. 143-212 except underground waters
Water Surface Elevation (WSE means the height, in relation to NAVD 1988, of floods of various magnitudes and frequencies in the floodplains of riverine areas.
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.
Water means the chemical element defined as H2O in any of its three natural states, liquid, solid and gaseous.
Vegetation means trees, shrubs, nursery stock and other vegetation and includes the limbs or growth of any Vegetation.
Surface water means all water which is open to the atmosphere and subject to surface runoff.
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.
Aquifer means a geologic formation, group of formations, or part of a formation capable of yielding a significant amount of groundwater to wells or springs.
Navigable waters ’ means the waters of the United States, including the territorial sea;
Septage means the liquid and solid material pumped from a septic tank, cesspool, or similar domestic sewage treatment system, or from a holding tank, when the system is cleaned or maintained.
Subsurface Borings and Testing means borings, probings and subsurface explorations, laboratory tests and inspections of samples, materials and equipment; appropriate professional interpretations of all the foregoing.
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.
Topsoil means a varying depth (up to 300 mm) of the soil profile irrespective of the fertility, appearance, structure, agricultural potential, fertility and composition of the soil;
Underground source of drinking water means an aquifer or its portion:
Pervious surface means an area that releases as runoff a small portion of the precipitation that falls on it. Lawns, gardens, parks, forests or other similar vegetated areas are examples of surfaces that typically are pervious.
Potable means water suitable for drinking by the public.
Underground storage means storage of gas in a subsurface stratum or formation of the earth.
Underground mining means all methods of mining other than surface mining.
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.
Uppermost aquifer means the geologic formation nearest the natural ground surface that is an aquifer, as well as lower aquifers that are hydraulically interconnected with this aquifer within the facility's property boundary.
Impervious surface means a surface that has been covered with a layer of material so that it is highly resistant to infiltration by water.
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.
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.