Article II — DEFINITIONS
Lake County Municipal Code · 2026-09 edition · updated 2026-10-02 · Lake County
Sec. 28-2. - Definitions.¶
2.2 Acre-foot means the volume of water necessary to cover one (1) acre to a depth of…¶
three hundred twenty-five thousand eight hundred fifty-one (325,851) gallons.
(Ord. No. 2696, § 6, 8-17-2004)
2.3 Aquifer means a geologic formation that stores, transmits and yields significant…¶
wells and springs.
(Ord. No. 2696, § 5, 8-17-2004)
2.4 Board means the Board of Supervisors of Lake County.¶
2.5 Commission means the Planning Commission of the County of Lake.¶
2.6 County means the County of Lake.¶
2.7 Department means the Community Development Department of the County of Lake.¶
2.8 Director means the Director of Community Development or his/her designee.¶
2.9 District means a district wholly or in part located within the boundaries of the…¶
purveyor of waters for agricultural, domestic, or municipal use.
(Ord. No. 2696, § 5, 8-17-2004)
2.10 Groundwater means all water beneath the surface of the earth within the zone below…¶
which the soil is completely saturated with water, but does not include water that flows in known and definite channels. Groundwater herein also means and includes all spring waters that are percolating groundwater and not otherwise classified or regulated as surface waters by the State of California, irregardless of the means of capture of such spring waters.
(Ord. No. 2696, §§ 5, 8, 8-17-2004)
2.11 Hydraulic gradient means the slope of the water table.¶
2.12 Hydrology means the origin, distribution, and circulation of water through…¶
infiltration, groundwater storage, and evaporation.
(Ord. No. 2696, § 5, 8-17-2004)
2.13 Overdraft means the condition of a groundwater supply in which the amount of water…¶
pumping exceeds the amount of water replenishing the supply over a period of time and also the point at which extractions from the supply exceed its safe yield plus any temporary surplus.
(Ord. No. 2696, § 5, 8-17-2004)
2.14 Percolation means the movement of water through the soil to the groundwater table.¶
2.15 Permeability means the capability of the soil or another geologic formation to transmit water.¶
2.16 Permit means a permit for groundwater export.¶
2.17 Piezometric surface means the surface to which the water in a confined aquifer will rise.¶
2.18 Porosity means voids or open spaces in alluvium and rocks that can be filled with water.¶
2.19 Recharge means flow to groundwater storage from precipitation, irrigation,…¶
spreading basins and other sources of water.
(Ord. No. 2696, § 5, 8-17-2004)
2.20 Safe yield means the maximum quantity of water which can be withdrawn annually from a¶
groundwater supply under a given set of conditions without causing overdraft or adverse water quality conditions. Specifically, safe yield is the amount of water which can be withdrawn without:
(a)
Exceeding in any calendar year the water supply of the basin (considering all sources of recharge and withdrawal);
(b)
Lowering water levels so as to make further drilling of water wells uneconomical;
(c)
Causing water pumped from the basin to deteriorate below drinking water standards;
(d)
Violating water rights or restrictions in pumpage in the groundwater basin as established by court adjudication or application of state or federal law; or
(e)
Causing observable environmental damage, including but not limited to subsidence.
(Ord. No. 2696, § 5, 8-17-2004)
2.21 Specific capacity means the volume of water pumped from a well in gallons per…¶
drawdown.
(Ord. No. 2696, § 5, 8-17-2004)
2.22 Subsidence means lowering or sinking of the land surface due to a number of…¶
groundwater extraction is one.
(Ord. No. 2696, § 5, 8-17-2004)
2.23 Transmissivity means the rate of flow of water through an aquifer.¶
2.24 Usable storage capacity means the quantity of groundwater of acceptable quality…¶
economically withdrawn from storage.
(Ord. No. 2696, § 5, 8-17-2004)
2.25 Water table means the surface or level where groundwater is encountered in a well…¶
aquifer.
(Ord. No. 2696, § 5, 8-17-2004)
2.26 Water year means the year beginning October 1st and ending the last day of the following September.¶
(Ord. No. 2696, § 5, 8-17-2004)
2.27 Zone of saturation means the area below the water table in which the soil is…¶
groundwater.
(Ord. No. 2457, § 1, 2-9-99; Ord. No. 2696, § 5, 8-17-2004)
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