Unless otherwise stated, the following words shall, for the
purpose of this chapter, have the meaning herein indicated. Words
in the present tense include the future tense. Words in the singular
include the plural and words in the plural include the singular.
The removal of the surface of land through the combined action
of man's activities and the natural processes at a rate greater than
would occur because of the natural process alone.
A reference to the Little Conestoga Creek Watershed Act 167
Stormwater Management Plan, approved by the Lancaster County Commissioners
on April 29, 1998, and by the DEP on June 28, 1998, and the Conestoga
River Watershed Act 167 Stormwater Management Plan, approved by the
Lancaster County Commissioners on June 8, 2005, and by the DEP on
August 29, 2005.
Activities associated with agriculture such as agricultural
cultivation, agricultural operation, and animal heavy use areas. This
includes the work of producing crops including tillage, land clearing,
plowing, disking, harrowing, planting, harvesting crops or pasturing
and raising of livestock and installation of conservation measures.
Construction of new buildings or impervious area is not considered
an agricultural activity.
The use of land exclusively for the cultivation of soil,
the production of crops or livestock or the science of forestry; also
land which has been diverted from agricultural use by an active federal
farm program, provided the land has a conservation cover of grass,
legume, trees or wildlife shrubs.
A landowner, as herein defined, or agent of the landowner,
who has filed an application for a stormwater management permit.
Activities, facilities, designs, measures, or procedures
used to manage stormwater impacts from regulated activities, to meet
state water quality requirements, to promote groundwater recharge,
and to otherwise meet the purposes of this chapter. Stormwater BMPs
are commonly grouped into one of two broad categories or measures:
"structural" or "nonstructural." In this chapter, "nonstructural"
BMPs or measures refer to operational and/or behavior-related practices
that attempt to minimize the contact of pollutants with stormwater
runoff whereas structural BMPs or measures are those that consist
of a physical device or practice that is installed to capture and
treat stormwater runoff. Structural BMPs include, but are not limited
to, a wide variety of practices and devices, from large-scale retention
ponds and constructed wetlands, to small-scale underground treatment
systems, infiltration facilities, filter strips, low-impact design,
bioretention, wet ponds, permeable paving, grassed swales, riparian
or forested buffers, sand filters, detention basins, and manufactured
devices. Structural stormwater BMPs are permanent appurtenances to
the project site.
The Pennsylvania Stormwater Best Management Practices Manual
of December 2006, or most recent version thereof.
A conservation district, as defined in Section 3(c) of the
Conservation District Law [3 P.S. § 851(c)] that has the
authority under a delegation agreement executed with DEP to administer
and enforce all or a portion of the regulations promulgated under
25 Pa. Code Ch. 102.
A structure with appurtenant works which carries a watercourse
under or through an embankment or fill.
The deliberate appropriation of property by its owner for
general public use.
The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection or
any agency successor to the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental
Protection.
The magnitude of precipitation from a storm event measured
in probability of occurrence (e.g., ten-year storm) and duration (e.g.,
twenty-four-hour), and used in computing stormwater management control
systems.
A vegetated basin designed to drain completely after storing
runoff only for a given storm event and release it at a predetermined
rate. Also known as a "dry pond."
The volume of runoff that is captured and released into the
waters of this commonwealth at a controlled rate.
Any landowner, agent of such landowner or tenant with the
permission of such landowner, who makes or causes to be made a subdivision
of land or a land development, or other activities covered by this
chapter.
Any man-made change to improved or unimproved real estate,
including but not limited to buildings or other structures, mining,
dredging, filling, grading, paving, excavation or drilling operations.
A right granted by a landowner to a grantee, allowing the
use of private land for stormwater management purposes.
A construction or other human activity which disturbs the
surface of the land, including but not limited to: clearing and grubbing;
grading; excavations; embankments; land development; agricultural
plowing or tilling; operation of animal heavy use areas; timber harvesting
activities; road maintenance activities; oil and gas activities; well
drilling; mineral extraction; building construction; and the moving,
depositing, stockpiling, or storing of soil, rock, or earth materials.
Earth disturbance activity is subject to regulation under 25 Pa. Code
Chapter 92a, 25 Pa. Code 102, or the Clean Streams Law.[1],
[Amended 11-10-2016 by Ord. No. 5-2016]
A device used to slow the velocity of stormwater particularly
at points of concentrated discharge such as pipe outlets.
The removal of soil particles by the action of water, wind,
ice, or other geological agents.
For aboveground detention/retention/BMP facilities, the facility
depth is defined to be the depth between the bottom invert of the
lowest orifice and the invert of the spillway. If there is no spillway,
the top of the berm shall be used. For basins with no orifices or
outlet structure, the bottom elevation of the basin shall be used.
Planning and activities necessary for the management of forestland.
These include conducting a timber inventory, preparation of forest
management plans, silvicultural treatment, cutting budgets, logging
road design and construction, timber harvesting, site preparation,
and reforestation.
A man-made drainage way of parabolic or trapezoidal cross-section
shaped to required dimensions and vegetated for safe disposal of runoff.
(Also known as a "swale.")
A structure which meets the following:
[Added 3-4-2019 by Ord.
No. 9-2019]
Is used for the production, processing, keeping, storing, sale
or shelter of an agricultural commodity as defined in Section 2 of
the Act of December 19, 1974 (P.L. 973, No. 319), known as the "Pennsylvania
Farmland and Forest Land Assessment Act of 1974," or for the storage
of agricultural equipment or supplies.
A retention or detention pond.
Infiltration rates of soils vary widely and are affected
by subsurface permeability as well as surface intake rates. Soils
are classified into four HSGs (A, B, C, and D) according to their
minimum infiltration rate, which is obtained for bare soil after prolonged
wetting. The NRCS defines the four groups and provides a list of most
of the soils in the United States and their group classification.
The soils in the area of the development site may be identified from
a soil survey report that can be obtained from local NRCS offices
or conservation district offices. Soils become less pervious as the
HSG varies from A to D.
A surface which prevents the percolation of water into the
ground. Impervious surfaces (or areas) shall include but not be limited
to: roofs; additional indoor living spaces; patios; garages; storage
sheds and similar structures; and any new streets or sidewalks. Parking
areas and driveway areas are not counted as impervious surface if
they do not prevent infiltration.
[Amended 7-6-2021 by Ord. No. 4-2021]
A type of topography or landscape characterized by surface
depressions, sinkholes, rock pinnacles/uneven bedrock surface, underground
drainage, and caves. Karst is formed on carbonate rocks, such as limestone
or dolomite.
The improvement of one lot or two or more contiguous lots,
tracts or parcels of land for any purpose involving: a group of two
or more buildings; or the division or allocation of land or space
between or among two or more existing or prospective occupants by
means of, or for the purpose of, streets, common areas, leaseholds,
condominiums, building groups or other features. Also any subdivision
of land and development in accordance with Section 503(1.1) of the
Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code.[2]
Any activity involving grading, tilling, digging or filling
of ground, or stripping of vegetation, or any other activity which
causes land to be exposed to the danger of erosion. Land disturbance
activities shall be classified as follows:
Major land disturbance activity.
Any use requiring the submission of a subdivision or land development
plan as herein defined;
Any land disturbance not defined as a minor land disturbance
activity or deemed to qualify as a minor land disturbance activity
by the Township.
Any use involving the diversion or piping of any natural or
man-made watercourse or existing drainage pattern;
Any use involving the installation of ground cover, grading,
filing, excavation, or disturbance of woodland in excess of one acre,
except for the use of land for agricultural plowing and tilling and
the science of forestry when operated in accordance with approved
conservation and erosion control practices.
Minor land disturbance activity.
The use of land on an existing lot of record, including subdivided
lots or land developments approved under a major land disturbance
activity, provided that:
The use is not within a floodplain area;
No diversion or piping of any natural or man-made watercourse
or existing drainage pattern is involved;
The use creates impervious areas of more than 1,000 square feet
and less than 5,000 square feet or involves the removal of ground
cover, grading, filling, or excavation of an area less than 5,000
square feet;
The use does not require the submission of a subdivision or
land development plan as herein defined.
Any use of the land, which in the opinion of the Township, represents
minimal ground disturbance or impact to the environment.
The legal or beneficial owner or owners of land including
the holder of an option or contract to purchase (whether or not such
option or contract is subject to any condition), a lessee if he is
authorized under the lease to exercise the rights of the landowner,
or other person having a proprietary interest in land, shall be deemed
to be a landowner for the purposes of this chapter.
Manor Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.
A natural watercourse or channel (not man-made) with a definite
bed and banks which confine and conduct continuously or periodically
flowing water.
USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, previously "SCS."
The control of runoff to allow water falling on a given site
to be absorbed or retained on-site to the extent that after development
the peak rate of discharge leaving the site is not significantly greater
than if the site had remained undeveloped.
The maximum rate of flow of water at a given point and time
resulting from a specified storm event.
An individual, partnership, association, corporation, or
other legally recognized entity, and the members of such partnership
or association, and the officers of such corporation.
The specific area of land where any regulated activities
in the municipality are planned, conducted, or maintained.
Any person licensed by the Pennsylvania Department of State
or otherwise qualified by law to perform the work required by this
chapter.
Stormwater management controls used to manage the peak flows
for the purposes of channel protection and flood mitigation.
A rainfall-runoff relation used to estimate peak flow.
Where a regulated activity constitutes a subdivision or land
development, the final subdivision or land development plan which
contains the information the ordinance requires. Where a regulated
activity does not constitute a subdivision or land development, a
stormwater management site plan containing all required information
and prepared in a form acceptable to the Office of the Recorder of
Deeds for recording.
Any physical improvement to a previously developed lot that
involves earthmoving, removal, or addition of impervious surfaces.
Any earth disturbance activities or any activities that involve
the alteration or development of land in a manner that may affect
stormwater runoff.
A pond containing a permanent pool of water designed to store
runoff for a given storm event and release it at a predetermined rate.
The volume of runoff that is captured and not released directly
into the surface waters of this commonwealth during or after a storm
event.
The average interval, in years, within which a storm event
of a given magnitude can be expected to occur one time. For example,
the twenty-five-year return period rainfall would be expected to occur
on average once every 25 years; or stated in another way, the probability
of a twenty-five-year storm occurring in any one year is 0.04 (i.e.,
a 4% chance).
Any part of precipitation that flows over the land.
A temporary dam or barrier constructed across a waterway
or at other suitable locations to intercept the runoff and to trap
and retain the sediment.
Regulated activities that, measured on a cumulative basis
from (the date of enactment of this chapter or other date as determined
by the municipality), create additional impervious areas of 1,000
square feet or less or involve removal of ground cover, grading, filling
or excavation of an area less than 5,000 square feet and do not involve
the alteration of stormwater facilities or watercourses.
The regulatory requirements to protect, maintain, reclaim,
and restore water quality under Title 25 of the Pennsylvania Code
and the Clean Streams Law.[5]
A system of pipes, conduits, swales or other similar structures
including appurtenant works which carries intercepted runoff, and
other drainage, but excludes domestic sewage and industrial wastes.
Drainage runoff from the surface of the land resulting from
precipitation or snow or ice melt.
A program of controls and measures designed to regulate the
quantity and quality of stormwater runoff from a development while
promoting the protection and conservation of ground waters and groundwater
recharge.
See "BMPs."
Those controls and measures used to effect a stormwater management
program, including BMPs.
The Lancaster County Act 167 Watershed Stormwater Management
Plan; "blueprints" for managing stormwater runoff adopted by the county
of Lancaster as required by the Act of October 4, 1978, P.L. 864,
(Act 167), as amended, and known as the "Stormwater Management Act."[6] Also, by reference, the Little Conestoga Creek Watershed
Act 167 Stormwater Management Plan and the Conestoga River Watershed
Act 167 Stormwater Management Plan.
The plan prepared by the developer or his representative
indicating how stormwater runoff will be managed at the development
site in accordance with this chapter.
The division or redivision of a lot, tract or parcel of land
by any means into two or more lots, tracts, parcels or other divisions
of land including changes in existing lot lines for the purpose, whether
immediate or future, of lease, transfer of ownership or building or
lot development.
Water treated by stormwater management facilities designed to incorporate BMPs sufficient to achieve the performance criteria specified in § 373-21 of this chapter.
The total amount of soils or other particulate matter which
is suspended in the water column.
Manor Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.
United States Department of Agriculture.
The storage capacity required to treat stormwater runoff
equivalent to the first 1.2" of runoff from the developed areas of
the site.
Any and all rivers, streams, creeks, rivulets, impoundments,
ditches, watercourses, storm sewers, lakes, dammed water, wetlands,
ponds, springs, and all other bodies or channels of conveyance of
surface and underground water, or parts thereof, whether natural or
artificial, within or on the boundaries of this commonwealth.
Region or area drained by a river, watercourse, or other
surface water of this commonwealth.
