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-CODE OF ORDINANCES
<br /> Chapter 30- LAND DEVELOPMENT REGULATIONS
<br /> ARTICLE VII. STORMWATER MANAGEMENT
<br /> Applicant means any person or entity that applies for a building permit, subdivision approval, or a
<br /> permit to allow land-disturbing activities. Applicant also means that person's agents, employees, and
<br /> others acting under this person's direction.
<br /> Best management practices (BMP's) means erosion and sediment control and water quality
<br /> management practices that are the most effective and practicable means of controlling, preventing, and
<br /> minimizing the degradation of surface water, including construction-phasing, minimizing the length of time
<br /> soil areas are exposed, prohibitions, and other management practices published by state or designated
<br /> area-wide planning agencies. (Examples of BMP's can be found in the current versions of the Minnesota
<br /> Pollution Control Agency's publications, "Protecting Water Quality in Urban Areas," and, "Storm-Water
<br /> and Wetlands: Planning and Evaluation Guidelines for Addressing Potential Impacts of Urban Storm-
<br /> Water and Snow-Melt Runoff on Wetlands," the United States Environmental Protection Agency's, "Storm
<br /> Water Management for Construction Activities: Developing Pollution Prevention Plans and Best
<br /> Management Practices," (as a reference for BMP's) and the Minnesota Department of Transportation's,
<br /> "Erosion Control Design Manual.")
<br /> Buffer means a protective vegetated zone located adjacent to a natural resource, such as a water of
<br /> the state, that is subject to direct or indirect human alteration. Such a buffer strip is an integral part of
<br /> protecting an aquatic ecosystem through filtering, pollutants and providing adjacent habitat. The width of
<br /> a buffer strip is the width along each bank of a stream. Therefore, a 30-foot wide stream with 100-foot
<br /> buffer strips has a total width of 230 feet. Acceptable buffer vegetation includes preserving existing
<br /> predevelopment vegetation and/or planting locally distributed native Minnesota trees, shrubs and grassy
<br /> vegetation. Alteration of buffers is strictly limited. Buffer areas are designated with permanent markers.
<br /> Developer means a person, firm, corporation, sole proprietorship, partnership, state agency, or
<br /> political subdivision thereof engaged in a land disturbance activity.
<br /> Discharge means the release, conveyance, channeling, runoff, or drainage, of stormwater, including
<br /> snowmelt, from a construction site.
<br /> Energy dissipation means the methods employed at pipe outlets to prevent erosion. Examples
<br /> include, but are not limited to; aprons, riprap, splash pads, and gabions that are designed to prevent
<br /> erosion.
<br /> Erosion means any process that wears away the surface of the land by the action of water, wind, ice,
<br /> or gravity. Erosion can be accelerated by the activities of people and nature.
<br /> Erosion control Refers to methods employed to prevent erosion. Examples include soil stabilization
<br /> practices, horizontal slope grading, temporary or permanent cover, and construction phasing.
<br /> Erosion and sediment practice specifications or practice means the management procedures,
<br /> techniques, and methods to control soil erosion and sedimentation as officially adopted by either the
<br /> state, county, city or local watershed group, whichever is more stringent.
<br /> Exposed soil areas means all areas of the construction site where the vegetation (trees, shrubs,
<br /> brush, grasses, etc.) or impervious surface has been removed, thus rendering the soil more prone to
<br /> erosion. This includes topsoil stockpile areas; borrow areas and disposal areas within the construction
<br /> site. It does not include stockpiles or surcharge areas of gravel, concrete or bituminous. Once soil is
<br /> exposed it is considered "exposed soil," until it meets the definition of"final stabilization."
<br /> Filter strips means a vegetated section of land designed to treat runoff as overland sheet flow. They
<br /> may be designed in any natural vegetated form from a grassy meadow to a small forest. Their dense
<br /> vegetated cover facilitates pollutant removal and infiltration.
<br /> Final stabilization means that all soil disturbing activities at the site have been completed, and that a
<br /> uniform perennial vegetative cover with a density of 75 percent of the cover for unpaved areas and areas
<br /> not covered by permanent structures has been established, or equivalent permanent stabilization
<br /> measures have been employed. Simply sowing grass seed is not considered final stabilization.
<br /> Elk River, Minnesota, Code of Ordinances Page 2
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