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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Soil texture means proportion by weight of sand, silt, and clay in a soil.
Diatomaceous earth filtration means a process resulting in substantial particulate removal in which a precoat cake of diatomaceous earth filter media is deposited on a support membrane (septum), and while the water is filtered by passing through the cake on the septum, additional filter media known as body feed is continuously added to the feed water to maintain the permeability of the filter cake.
Natural area means an area of the rural or non-urban environment which is in an unspoilt natural state or is of high scenic value, and includes, but is not limited to, national parks, game reserves, nature reserves, marine reserves, wilderness areas, areas of extensive agriculture and scenic areas;
Sewage sludge weight means the weight of sewage sludge, in dry U.S. tons, including admixtures such as liming materials or bulking agents. Monitoring frequencies for sewage sludge parameters are based on the reported sludge weight generated in a calendar year (use the most recent calendar year data when the NPDES permit is up for renewal).
Constructed wetlands means areas intentionally designed and created to emulate the water quality improvement function of wetlands for the primary purpose of removing pollutants from stormwater.
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.
Surface water means all water which is open to the atmosphere and subject to surface runoff.
Production Area means that part of the animal feeding operation that includes the animal confinement area, the manure storage area, the raw materials storage area, and the waste containment areas. The animal confinement area includes, but is not limited to, open lots, housed lots, feedlots, confinement houses, stall barns, free stall barns, milkrooms, milking centers, egg washing or egg processing areas, areas used for the storage and disposal/treatment of mortalities, cowyards, barnyards, medication pens, walkers, animal walkways, and stables. The manure storage area includes, but is not limited to, lagoons, runoff ponds, storage sheds, stockpiles, under-house or pit storages, liquid impoundments, static piles, and composting piles. The raw materials storage area includes, but is not limited to, feed silos, and silage bunkers. The waste containment area includes, but is not limited to, settling basins and areas within berms and diversions which separate uncontaminated stormwater.
Sedimentation means a process for removal of solids before filtration by gravity or separation.
Surface waters means all waters of the state as defined in G.S. 143-212 except underground waters
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;
Membrane filtration means a pressure or vacuum driven separation process in which particulate matter larger than one micrometer is rejected by an engineered barrier, primarily through a size exclusion mechanism, and which has a measurable removal efficiency of a target organism that can be verified through the application of a direct integrity test. This definition includes the common membrane technologies of microfiltration, ultrafiltration, nanofiltration, and reverse osmosis.
Impervious surface means a surface that has been covered with a layer of material so that it is highly resistant to infiltration by water.
Underground source of drinking water means an aquifer or its portion:
impermeable surface means a surface or pavement constructed and maintained to a standard sufficient to prevent the transmission of liquids beyond the pavement surface, and should be read in conjunction with the term “sealed drainage system” (below).
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.
Impact surface means an interior or exterior surface that is subject to damage by repeated sudden force such as certain parts of door frames.
Impervious area means any surface that does not allow stormwater to infiltrate into the ground.