Rocklin Municipal Code Art. IV Grading Standards and Erosion and Sediment Control

All grading work shall be performed in conformance with the Improvement Standards and/or the California Building Standards Code. If there is a conflict between the provisions of this chapter and the Improvement Standards or California Building Standards Code, the more restrictive shall prevail.

(Ord. 904 § 1 (part), 2006).

A. The faces of cut and fill slopes shall be prepared and maintained to control against erosion. The protection for the slopes shall be installed as soon as practicable and prior to calling for final approval. Where the city engineer determines, based upon engineering information produced by the applicant, that cut slopes are not subject to erosion due to erosion-resistant character of the materials, such protection may be omitted.

B. An erosion and sediment control plan shall be required with any grading approval and shall include the following items:

1. Protective measures to be taken during construction such as hydromulching, berms (temporary or permanent), interceptor ditches, subsurface drains, terraces and/or sediment traps in order to prevent erosion by surface water or groundwater of the cut faces of excavations or of the sloping surfaces of fills;

2. Permanent methods of revegetation following completion of proposed grading or improvements;

3. Approximate sequence and timing of grading and construction increments and/or subsequent revegetation and/or landscaping work.

C. Revegetation Standards.

1. Permanent revegetation or landscaping, if required, is to be commenced on the construction site as soon as practical and in no case exceeding twelve months after achieving final grades and utility placements. Whenever practical, land is to be developed in increments of workable size which can be completed during a single construction season; erosion control measures are to be coordinated with the sequence of grading or improvements.

2. Grading equipment is to be confined to the area immediately adjacent to areas of disturbance as indicated by the approved plan.

3. All surfaces disturbed by vegetation removal, grading, haul roads, or other activity of construction which alters the natural vegetative cover are to be prepared for expedient revegetation or otherwise maintained to control erosion unless covered with impervious or other improved surfaces pursuant to approved plans within fourteen days following the completion of grading, or removal of vegetation if no grading was involved.

4. Topsoil removed from the surface in preparation for grading and construction is to be stored away from drainage structures and, whenever possible, away from inhabited residential areas and on or near the site, protected from erosion while grading operations are underway; provided, that such storage may not be located where it would cause suffocation of root systems of trees intended to be preserved. After completion of such grading, topsoil shall be restored to expose cut and fill embankments or building pads so as to provide a suitable base for seeding and planting.

5. Acceptable methods of revegetation include straw-mulching, hydro-mulching or planting of mixture specified in the Improvement Standards. Other methods of revegetation may be approved by the city engineer where equivalent protection is provided.

6. All revegetation and landscaping are to be conducted within suitable growing periods. Native plant materials are specifically encouraged in order to reduce irrigation demands.

7. Temporary sedimentation control facilities are to be installed in conjunction with initial grading operations and maintained throughout the construction period to remove sediments from runoff waters during development.

8. Permanent sediment catchment basins or other types of sediment retention facilities are required wherever necessary to prevent discharge of sediment into waters of the state. Sediment retention facilities shall be inspected and cleaned according to a regular maintenance schedule.

9. The planting or seeding of vegetative protection must be effective. If the vegetation does not grow and offer proper protection, it must be replanted or reseeded.

10. The maintenance of vegetative protection on graded slopes shall be the responsibility of the permittee and shall be guaranteed until the vegetation is well established or is officially assumed by another party approved by the public works director.

(Ord. 904 § 1 (part), 2006).