§ 15-364. Definitions.

The following words, terms and phrases, when used in this article, shall have the meanings ascribed to them in this section, except where the context clearly indicates a different meaning:

Conservation areas shall mean those areas which have the requisites in section 15-378 and which are functional pursuant to section 15-379. Conservation areas may be determined as Class I, II or III.

(a)

Class I conservation areas shall mean those wetland areas which meet the following criteria:

(1)

Have a hydrological connection to natural surface water bodies; or

(2)

Lake littoral zone; or

(3)

Are large isolated uninterrupted wetlands forty (40.0) acres or larger; or

(4)

Provide critical habitat for federal and/or state listed threatened or endangered species.

(b)

Class II conservation areas shall mean those wetland areas which meet any of the following criteria:

(1)

Consist of isolated wetlands or formerly isolated wetlands which by way of man's activities have been directly connected to other surface water drainage; and are greater than or equal to five (5.0) acres; or

(2)

Do not otherwise qualify as a Class I conservation area.

(c)

Class III conservation areas shall mean those wetland areas which meet all of the following criteria:

(1)

Isolated wetlands less than five (5.0) acres; and

(2)

Do not otherwise qualify as a Class I or Class II conservation area.

Guild shall mean a group of species that utilize a common resource in the environment.

Habitat suitability index shall mean a ratio where the value of interest (i.e., model output) represents the habitat condition and the standard of comparison represents the optimum habitat condition. The scale of an HSI is from 0.0 to 1.0 where 0.0 equals no suitability and 1.0 equals optimum suitability.

Habitat unit shall mean the product of the evaluation species habitat suitability index and the total area of available habitat. One (1) habitat unit generally represents one (1) acre of optimum habitat for the particular evaluation species.

Hydrologic connection shall mean connection to a natural surface water body such as lakes, ponds, rivers, and creeks where a flow of surface water occurs on an average of thirty (30) or more consecutive days per year under normal hydrological conditions. In the absence of reliable hydrological records, a continuum dominated by plant species listed in Appendix A [Ord. No. 89-8] may be used to establish a hydrological connection. Artificial or manmade ditches or canals constructed through uplands that connect previously isolated wetlands to natural surface water bodies shall not be considered as a hydrological connection. Artificial or manmade ditches or canals constructed in historical natural drainageways shall be considered as a hydrological connection.

Maintenance shall mean regular upkeep of mitigated wetlands or other areas performed in order to assure goals or an approved mitigation/compensation plan will be met. This may include a guaranteed survival rate of planted species and/or recruited desirous wetland species, the removal of undesirable invasion species, and a monitoring program.

Mitigation shall mean remedying wetland impacts by repairing, rehabilitating or restoring affected habitat, creating similar habitat of equal or greater function, habitat, or unique upland habitat, any combination thereof or other offsetting process.

Trophic level shall mean an ecological term that describes the relative position of a species in the food chain, e.g., herbivore, carnivore or decomposer.

Viability shall mean capable of biological growth and reproduction, and performance of wetland functions. A wetland has viability provided it has not been drained, dredged, filled, or dominated by exotic plants.

(Code 1965, § 36B-4; Ord. No. 87-39, § 1(1.04), 11-9-87; Ord. No. 89-8, § 1(1.04), 7-3-89; Ord. No. 91-29, § 2(Exh. A), 12-10-91)

Cross reference

Definitions and rules of construction generally, § 1-2.