Chico Municipal Code Ch. 16.35 Floodplain Regulations - Definitions

Unless the contrary is stated or clearly appears from the context, the definitions set forth in this chapter shall govern construction of the words and phrases used in the floodplain regulations adopted in this title.

(Ord. 2131 §5)

The term “base flood” means a flood which has a one percent chance of being equaled or exceeded in any given year (also called the “100-year flood”).

(Ord. 2131 §5)

"Department of Water Resources (DWR)" means the California Department of Water Resources (DWR), a State agency which is part of the California Natural Resources Agency. The DWR is responsible for the State of California's management and regulation of water usage. The California Department of Water Resources was charged under SB 5 and SB 1278 with the development of the 2013 Urban Level of Flood Protection criteria.

(Ord. 2616 § 3)

The term “development” means any man-made change to improved or unimproved real property including, but not limited to, buildings or structures, grading, paving, drilling operations or the storage of equipment or materials.

(Ord. 2131 §5)

" Federal Flood Standard" is the 100-year flood or 1 percent annual chance flood. See "100-year floodplain" definition.

(Ord. 2616 § 4)

The term “flood” means the temporary condition of partial or complete inundation of normally dry land areas from the overflow of water, the unusual and rapid accumulation or runoff of surface waters from any source, mudslides (i.e., mudflows), and/or conditions resulting from flood-related erosion.

(Ord. 2131 §5)

"Flood Hazard Zone" means an area subject to flooding that is delineated as either a special hazard area or an area of moderate hazard on an official flood insurance rate map issued by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The identification of flood hazard zones does not imply that areas outside the flood hazard zones, or uses permitted within flood hazard zones, will be free from flooding or flood damage.

(Ord. 2616 § 5)

The term “flood insurance rate map” or “FIRM” means an official map on which the Federal Emergency Management Agency or Federal Insurance Administration has delineated the areas of special flood hazards and the risk premium zones applicable to the community.

(Ord. 2370 §9)

The term “flood insurance map study” means the official report provided by the Federal Insurance Administration that includes flood profiles, the flood insurance rate map, and special flood hazard areas.

(Ord. 2370 §10)

The term “floodplain” means any land area susceptible to being inundated by water from any source.

(Ord. 2131 §5)

The term “floodway” or “regulatory floodway” means the channel of a river or other watercourse and the adjacent land areas that must be reserved in order to discharge the base flood without cumulatively increasing the water surface elevation more than one foot.

(Ord. 2131 §5, Ord. 2370 §11)

The term “historic structure” means any structure that is:

A. Listed individually in the National Register of Historic Places maintained by the U.S. Department of Interior or preliminarily determined by the Secretary of the Interior Department as meeting the requirements for individual listing on the National Register;

B. Certified or preliminarily determined by the Secretary of the Interior as contributing to the historic significance of a registered historic district or a district preliminarily determined by the Secretary to qualify as a registered historic district; orf

C. Individually listed on a state or city inventory of historic places pursuant to a historic preservation program that has been certified by the Secretary of the Interior or by an approved state program that has been certified by the Secretary of the Interior.

(Ord. 2370 §12)

The term “mean sea level” means the National Geodetic Vertical Datum (NGVD) of 1929 or other datum to which base flood elevations shown on a community’s Flood Insurance Rate Map are referenced.

(Ord. 2131 §5)

"Non-urbanized area" means a developed area or an area outside a developed area in which there are fewer than 10,000 residents (Government Code Section 65007(f).

(Ord. 2616 § 6)

The term “special flood hazard area” or “area of special flood hazards” means an area having special flood hazards and described or depicted on a Flood Insurance Rate Map prepared and/or approved by the Federal Emergency Management Agency or Federal Insurance Administration as Zones A, AO, A1-A30, AE, A99 or AH.

(Ord. 2131 §5)

The term “structure” means a walled and roofed building that is principally above ground. The term “structure” includes a gas or liquid storage tank or a manufactured home.

(Ord. 2131 §5)

"Urban Area" is defined as a developed area in which there are 10,000 residents or more (Government Code Section 65007(l).

(Ord. 2616 § 7)

"Urbanizing area" means a developed area or an area outside a developed area that is planned or anticipated to have 10,000 residents or more within the next 10 years.

(Ord. 2616 § 8)

"Urban Level of Flood Protection" means the level of protection that is necessary to withstand flooding that has a 1-in-200 chance of occurring in any given year using criteria consistent with, or developed by, the Department of Water Resources. Urban Level of Flooding shall not mean shallow flooding or flooding from local drainage that meets the criteria of the national Federal Emergency Management Agency standard of flood protection.

(Ord. 2616 § 9)

The term “watercourse” means a lake, river, creek, stream, wash, arroyo, channel or other topographic feature on or over which waters flow at least periodically. Watercourse includes specifically designated areas in which substantial flood damage may occur.

(Ord. 2131 §5)

The term “violation” means the failure of a structure to be fully compliant with this title and title 16.R of this Code. A structure or other development without the elevation certificate, other certifications, or other evidence of compliance required by this title, or title 16R, is presumed to be in violation until such time as all such documentation is provided.

(Ord. 2370 §13)