When used this Part 1, the following words, terms and phrases
shall have the following meaning, unless expressly stated otherwise
or unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:
CHANNEL
The bed and banks of watercourses, which confine and convey
the normal flow of the water, either continuously or intermittently.
CISTERN
A receptacle for collecting and holding rainwater for reuse
for irrigation or drinking water.
CONVEYANCE SWALE
A natural or man-made drainage channel that has an upstream
contributing area of 10 acres.
CULVERT
A pipe, conduit or similar structure, including appurtenant
works, which carries stormwater.
DAM
Any artificial barrier, together with its appurtenant works,
constructed for the purpose of impounding or storing water or any
other fluid or semifluid or any refuse bank, fill or structure for
highway, railroad or other purposes which does or may impound water
or any other fluid or semifluid.
DESIGN STORM
The magnitude of precipitation from a storm event measured
in probability of occurrence (such as a fifty-year storm) and duration
(such as twenty-four-hour rainfall) and used in computing stormwater
management systems.
DETENTION BASIN OR POND
A natural or man-made area in which stormwater is temporarily
detained and from which said water is slowly released at a rate compatible
with sound stormwater and soil management practices as approved by
the Township Engineer. Unless otherwise stated, this term shall include
a "retention basin."
DEVELOPER
A person, partnership, association, corporation or other
entity, or any responsible person therein or agent thereof that undertakes
any regulated activity of this Part 1.
DEVELOPMENT SITE
The specific tract of land for which a regulated activity
is proposed.
DISTURBANCE
Any activity involving the clearing, excavating, storing,
grading, filling or transporting of soil or any other activity which
causes soil to be exposed to the danger of erosion.
DIVERSION
A channel with or without a supporting ridge on the lower
side constructed to intercept and divert surface runoff.
DRAINAGE
The removal of surface water or groundwater from land by
drains, grading or other means and includes control of runoff to minimize
erosion and sedimentation during and after construction or development
and means necessary for water supply preservation or prevention or
alleviation of flooding.
DRAINAGE EASEMENT
A right granted by a landowner to the Township or other grantee
allowing the use of an area of land for stormwater management.
DRAINAGE PLAN
The documentation of the proposed stormwater management controls,
if any, to be used for a given development site.
EMBANKMENT
A man-made deposit of soil, rock or other material.
EROSION
The detachment and movement of soil or rock fragments by
water, wind, ice and/or gravity.
EROSION AND SEDIMENT CONTROL PLAN
A plan which fully indicates necessary land treatment measures,
including a schedule for the timing of their installation, which will
effectively minimize soil erosion and sedimentation and which is acceptable
to the County Conservation District.
EXCAVATION or CUT
An act by which soil or soils are cut into dug, quarried,
uncovered, removed, displaced or relocated.
EXISTING GRADE
The vertical location of the existing ground surface prior
to cutting or filling.
FINISHED GRADE
The final elevation of the ground surface conforming to the
proposed design.
FREEBOARD
The incremental depth, provided as a safety factor of design,
in a stormwater management structure above that required to convey
the design runoff event.
GRADING
Any stripping, cutting, filling, stockpiling or any combination
thereof and shall include the land in its cut or filled condition.
GROUND FLOOR
The first floor of a building other than a cellar or basement.
GROUNDWATER RECHARGE
The process of stormwater entering into the ground to replenish
the underground water table.
IMPERVIOUS SURFACE
A surface which substantially prevents the percolation of
water into the ground.
INFILTRATION STRUCTURE
A structure designed to direct runoff into the ground, e.g.,
french drain, seepage pit, seepage trench.
LAND DEVELOPMENT
A.
The improvement of one or two or more contiguous lots, tracts
or parcels of land for any purpose involving:
(1)
A group of two or more buildings; or,
(2)
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.
LOWEST FLOOR
Lowest floor of the enclosed area, including basement.
LVPC
Lehigh Valley Planning Commission.
[Amended 5-1-2000 by Ord. No. 2-00]
MAINSTEM (MAIN CHANNEL)
Any stream segment or other conveyance facility used as a
reach in the Bushkill Creek, Fry's Run, Monocacy Creek or Nancy Run
hydrologic model.
[Amended 5-1-2000 by Ord. No. 2-00]
MANNING EQUATION
A method for calculation of velocity of flow (feet per second)
and flow rate (cubic feet per second) in open channels based upon
channel shape, roughness, depth of flow and slope. Open channels may
include closed conduits, provided that the flow is not under pressure.
MULCHING
The application of plant or other suitable materials on the
soil's surface to conserve moisture, hold soil in place and aid in
establishing plant cover.
OBSTRUCTION
Any structure, materials, fill or activity that would impede,
retard or change natural or approved stormwater flows.
PEAK DISCHARGE
The maximum rate of flow of stormwater runoff at a given
location and time resulting from a specified storm event.
PENN STATE RUNOFF MODEL
The computer-based hyrologic modeling technique adapted to
the Bushkill Creek, Fry's Run, Monocacy Creek and Nancy Run Watersheds
for the Act 167 Plan. The model has been calibrated to reflect actual
recorded flow values by adjusting key model input parameters.
[Amended 5-1-2000 by Ord. No. 2-00]
RATIONAL METHOD
A method of computing stormwater runoff, as described in the Appendix of this Part
1.
REACH
Any of the 257 man-made runoff conveyance channels used for
modeling purposes to connect the subareas (within the Bushkill Creek,
Fry's Run, Monocacy Creek and Nancy Run Watersheds) and transport
flows, as described in the LVPC stormwater management plans.
[Amended 5-1-2000 by Ord. No. 2-00]
REGULATED ACTIVITIES
Actions or proposed action which impact upon proper management
of stormwater runoff and which are governed by this Part 1.
RELEASE RATE
The percentage of the predevelopment peak rate of runoff
for a development site which the postdevelopment peak rate of runoff
must be controlled to protect downstream areas.
[Amended 6-21-1993 by Ord. No. 6-93]
RETURN PERIOD
The average interval in years over which an event of a given
magnitude can be expected to recur. For example, the twenty-five-year
return period rainfall or runoff event would be expected to recur
on the average once every 25 years.
RUNOFF
That part of precipitation that flows over land.
SCS
The Soil Conservation Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
SEDIMENTATION
The deposition of solid material (both mineral and organic)
that has been transported from its site of origin by any means of
erosion.
SEDIMENTATION BASIN
A barrier or dam built across a waterway or at other suitable
locations to retain rock, sand, gravel, silt or other materials to
prevent these materials from entering a creek, river, stream or lake.
SEEPAGE PIT/SEEPAGE TRENCH
An area of excavated earth filled with loose stone or similar
material and into which surface water is directed for infiltration
into the ground.
SEMIPERVIOUS
Uncompacted aggregate (e.g., sand, gravel, crushed stone,
etc.), porous pavement and infiltration structures.
[Amended 6-21-1993 by Ord. No. 6-93]
SOIL-COVER-COMPLEX METHOD
A method of runoff computation developed by SCS which is
based upon relating soil type and land use/cover to a runoff parameter
called a curve number.
START OF CONSTRUCTION
Includes substantial improvements and means the date the
building permit was issued, provided the actual start of construction,
repair, reconstruction or improvements was within 180 days of the
permit date. The actual start means the first placement of permanent
construction of a structure (other than a mobile home) on a site such
as the pouring of slabs or footings or any work beyond the stage of
excavation.
STORAGE INDICATION METHOD
A reservoir routing procedure based on solution of the continuity
equation (inflow minus outflow equals the change in storage for a
given time interval) and based on outflow being a unique function
of storage volume.
STORM SEWER
A system of pipes or other conduits that carries intercepted
runoff but is not intended to carry sanitary sewer or industrial waste.
STORMWATER DETENTION
The holding or slowing down of stormwater runoff to limit
the amounts of postdevelopment runoff (release date) to a required
percentage of the predevelopment amounts of runoff during peak periods.
[Amended 6-21-1993 by Ord. No. 6-93]
STORMWATER MANAGEMENT DISTRICT
Individual areas as they appear on the Bushkill Creek, Fry's
Run, Monocacy Creek and Nancy Run release rate maps. Each district
is assigned an allowable release rate. (See "stormwater management
district, general.")
[Amended 5-1-2000 by Ord. No. 2-00]
STORMWATER MANAGEMENT PLANS (LVPC)
The plans for managing stormwater runoff adopted by Northampton
County for the Bushkill Creek, Fry's Run, Monocacy Creek and Nancy
Run Watersheds as required by the Act of October 4, 1978, P.L. 864,
(Act 167), and known as the Stormwater Management Act.
[Amended 5-1-2000 by Ord. No. 2-00]
SUBAREA
The smallest unit of watershed breakdown for hydrologic modeling
purposes for which the runoff control criteria have been established
in the LVPC stormwater management plans.
[Amended 5-1-2000 by Ord. No. 2-00]
SUBDIVISION
The division or redivision of a lot, tract or parcel of land
by any means into two or more lots, tracts or 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.
SWALE
A low lying stretch of land which gathers or carries stormwater
runoff.
TOWNSHIP
The Township of Bethlehem, County of Northampton, in the
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
[Amended 5-1-2000 by Ord. No. 2-00]
VEGETATIVE PROTECTION
Stabilization of erosive or sediment producing areas, by
establishing permanent long term vegetative growth cover, by seeding
of the soil or planting sod.
WATERCOURSE
Any natural or artificial waterway, stream, river, creek,
ditch, channel, millrace, canal, gully, ravine or wash in which water
flows in a definite direction or course either continuously or intermittently
and which has a definite channel and bed. This term shall include
any area adjacent thereto subject to inundation by reason of overflow
of floodwaters.
[Amended 6-21-1993 by Ord. No. 6-93]
WATERSHED (BUSHKILL)
The area which contributes stormwater runoff to the Bushkill
Creek as it appears on the drawing entitled "Plate I, Bushkill Creek
Watershed Release Rate Map" (as prepared by the Lehigh Valley Planning
Commission of Lehigh and Northampton Counties).
[Amended 5-1-2000 by Ord. No. 2-00]
WATERSHED (FRY'S RUN)
The area which contributes stormwater runoff to the Fry's
Run as it appears on the drawing entitled "Plate I, Fry's Run Study
Area Release Rate Map" (as prepared by the Lehigh Valley Planning
Commission).
[Amended 5-1-2000 by Ord. No. 2-00]
WATERSHED (MONOCACY)
The area which contributes stormwater runoff to the Monocacy
Creek as it appears on the drawing entitled "Plate I, Monocacy Creek
Watershed Release Map" (as prepared by the Joint Planning Commission
of Lehigh and Northampton Counties).
[Amended 5-1-2000 by Ord. No. 2-00]
WATERSHED (NANCY RUN)
The area which contributes stormwater runoff to the Nancy
Run as it appears on the drawing entitled "Plate I, Nancy Run Watershed"
(as prepared by the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission).
[Amended 5-1-2000 by Ord. No. 2-00]