best management practice means a practice or combination of practices that are the most effective, practical means of preventing or reducing the amount of pollution generated by a project to a level compatible with state water quality standards found in chapters 17-3 and 17-4 of the Florida Administrative code.

clearing means the removal of vegetation from land, not including the mowing of grass.

Construction means any on-site activity which will result in the change of natural or existing drainage patterns, including alteration of existing contours, erection of buildings or other structures or land clearing.

control elevation means the lowest elevation at which water can be released through the discharge structure.

control structure means the element of stormwater discharge structure which allows the gradual release of water under regulated conditions.

detention means the gradual and controlled delay of stormwater runoff discharge into receiving waters.

Development means the construction, installation, demolition or removal of a structure, impervious surface or drainage facility; clearing, scraping, grubbing, killing or otherwise removing vegetation; adding, removing, exposing, excavating, leveling, grading, digging, furrowing, dumping, piling, dredging or otherwise significantly disturbing or altering soil, mud, sand or rock; or the modification or redevelopment of a site.

Direct discharge means discharge of stormwater through a control structure directly to the receiving water body.

discharge means the outflow of water from a project, site, aquifer, drainage basin or facility.

discharge point means the approved point, location or structure where stormwater runoff discharges from a storm sewer or stormwater management system to a receiving conveyance facility or body of water.

discharge rate means the volume of fluid per unit of time leaving a site.

discharge structure means a structural device through or over which water is discharged from a stormwater management system.

Dry detention means the temporary delay of stormwater runoff by a structure, for water quantity requirements, prior to discharge into the receiving water.

Dry retention means a water storage area with a bottom elevation at least two feet or more above the wet season water table. retention storage percolates into the ground and evaporates, instead of being discharged to receiving waters.

enforcement officer means the building official.

exfiltration means on-site retention of stormwater accomplished below ground.

hydrograph means a graph showing discharge over time for a selected outfall point or drainageway.

hydroperiod means the cyclical changes in the amount or stage of water in an aqueous habitat.

Impervious surface means a surface which is highly resistant to infiltration by water.

Indirect discharge means discharge of stormwater from a system by a means other than a control structure.

Land means the earth that lies above mean high tide for land subject to tidal inundation and mean high water for freshwater bodies of water.

Offline treatment means a treatment facility, such as retention, detention with filtration or wet detention, which receives the treatment volume only via a diversion structure; runoff in excess of the treatment volume bypasses the offline facility.

pervious means any material which is permeable or capable of being easily penetrated by water.

Predevelopment condition for stormwater runoff means topography, vegetation, rate, volume, direction and pollution load of surface water or groundwater flow existing prior to development.

project initiation means all acts antecedent to actual construction activities.

Recharge means net downward percolation of water to an aquifer.

record drawings means the amended site plans specifying the locations, dimensions, elevations, capacities and capabilities of facilities as constructed. Such drawings must be signed and sealed by a state-registered professional engineer and submitted to the city building department prior to project completion.

retention means to prevent stormwater runoff from leaving the project site and discharging into receiving waters.

retrofitting means improving the quality of stormwater runoff through changes in the existing stormwater management system.

sediment facility means any structure or area which is designed to retain runoff until suspended sediments have settled.

site plan means the plan documents which show the means by which the development will conform with applicable city requirements.

Spreader swale means a depression positioned parallel to the receiving water body which allows for indirect discharge of stormwater which is in excess of the retained or detained volume.

Stormwater management plan means the detailed analysis which describes how the proposed stormwater management system for a development has been planned, designed and will be constructed to meet applicable city requirements.

Stormwater management system means the designed features of a property which collect, convey, channel, hold, inhibit or divert the movement of stormwater to ensure its proper treatment and storage.

swale means a manmade depression which:

vegetated buffer strip means an area retained in its natural state or replanted along the banks of watercourses, water bodies or wetlands. The width of the buffer should be sufficient to prevent erosion, trap the sediment in overland runoff, provide access to the water body and allow for periodic flooding without damage to structures.

Water detention facility means a stormwater management facility which provides for the delaying of stormwater runoff.

Water retention facility means a stormwater management facility which, through percolation, evaporation or evapotranspiration, prevents direct discharge of stormwater runoff into receiving waters.

Watercourse means any natural or artificial stream, creek, slough, channel, ditch, canal, waterway, gully, ravine or wash in which water flows in a definite direction and which has a definite physical channel, bed or banks.

Wet detention means a stormwater management system that includes a permanent water pool, a shallow littoral zone with aquatic plants and capacity to provide detention for the extended time needed to treat the required volume.

Wet season water table means the groundwater level during the time of year when the greatest amount of rainfall occurs.

wetlands means those areas saturated by surface water or groundwater at a frequency and duration sufficient to support a dominance of vegetation adapted for saturated soil conditions as specified in the rules of the state department of environmental protection, chapter 17-3022.