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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>59976</law_id><section_number>62.1-44.15:51</section_number><catch_line>Definitions</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><referred_to_by><reference>10.1-2500</reference><reference>15.2-1129.2</reference><reference>15.2-1232.2</reference><reference>15.2-2295.1</reference><reference>15.2-2306.1</reference><reference>15.2-941.1</reference><reference>3.2-3602</reference><reference>36-55.64</reference><reference>58.1-3851</reference><reference>62.1-44.15</reference><reference>62.1-44.15:24</reference><reference>62.1-44.15:27</reference><reference>62.1-44.15:27.2</reference><reference>62.1-44.15:56.1</reference><reference>62.1-44.15:68</reference><reference>62.1-44.15:81</reference><reference>62.1-44.32</reference></referred_to_by><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="1" identifier="62.1">Waters of the State, Ports and Harbors</unit><unit label="chapter" level="2" order_by="1" identifier="3.1">State Water Control Law</unit><unit label="article" level="3" order_by="1" identifier="2.4">Erosion and Sediment Control Law for Localities Not Administering a Virginia Erosion and Stormwater Management Program</unit></structure><text>
						<section><p>As used in this article, unless the context requires a different meaning:
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Agreement in lieu of a plan</span>&#x201D; means a <span class="dictionary">contract</span> between the <span class="dictionary">VESCP authority</span> and the <span class="dictionary">owner</span> that specifies conservation measures that must be implemented in the construction of a (i) single-family detached residential structure or (ii) <span class="dictionary">farm building or structure</span> on a parcel of land with a total impervious cover percentage, including the impervious cover from the <span class="dictionary">farm building or structure</span> to be constructed, of less than five percent; this <span class="dictionary">contract</span> may be executed by the <span class="dictionary">VESCP authority</span> in lieu of a formal site plan.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Applicant</span>&#x201D; means any <span class="dictionary">person</span> submitting an <span class="dictionary">erosion and sediment control plan</span> for approval in <span class="dictionary">order</span> to obtain authorization for land-disturbing activities to commence.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Certified inspector</span>&#x201D; means an employee or agent of a <span class="dictionary">VESCP authority</span> who (i) holds a certification from the <span class="dictionary">Board</span> in the area of project inspection or (ii) is enrolled in the <span class="dictionary">Board</span>&#x2019;s training program for project inspection and successfully completes such program within one year after enrollment.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Certified plan reviewer</span>&#x201D; means an employee or agent of a <span class="dictionary">VESCP authority</span> who (i) holds a certification from the <span class="dictionary">Board</span> in the area of plan review, (ii) is enrolled in the <span class="dictionary">Board</span>&#x2019;s training program for plan review and successfully completes such program within one year after enrollment, or (iii) is licensed as a professional engineer, architect, landscape architect, land surveyor pursuant to Article 1 (&#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Definitions" href="/54.1-400/">54.1-400</a> et seq.) of Chapter 4 of Title 54.1, or professional soil scientist as defined in &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Definitions" href="/54.1-2200/">54.1-2200</a>.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Certified program administrator</span>&#x201D; means an employee or agent of a <span class="dictionary">VESCP authority</span> who (i) holds a certification from the <span class="dictionary">Board</span> in the area of program administration or (ii) is enrolled in the <span class="dictionary">Board</span>&#x2019;s training program for program administration and successfully completes such program within one year after enrollment.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Department</span>&#x201D; means the <span class="dictionary">Department</span> of Environmental Quality.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Director</span>&#x201D; means the <span class="dictionary">Director</span> of the <span class="dictionary">Department</span> of Environmental Quality.
		&#x201C;District&#x201D; or &#x201C;<span class="dictionary">soil and water conservation district</span>&#x201D; means a political subdivision of the Commonwealth organized in accordance with the provisions of Article 3 (&#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Power to create new districts and to relocate or define district boundaries; composition of districts" href="/10.1-506/">10.1-506</a> et seq.) of Chapter 5 of Title 10.1.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Erosion and sediment control plan</span>&#x201D; or &#x201C;plan&#x201D; means a document containing <span class="dictionary">material</span> for the conservation of soil and water resources of a unit or group of units of land. It may include appropriate maps, an appropriate soil and water plan inventory and management information with needed interpretations, and a record of decisions contributing to conservation treatment. The plan shall contain all major conservation decisions to ensure that the entire unit or units of land will be so treated to achieve the conservation objectives.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Erosion impact area</span>&#x201D; means an area of land that is not associated with a current <span class="dictionary">land-disturbing activity</span> but is subject to persistent <span class="dictionary">soil erosion</span> resulting in the delivery of sediment onto neighboring properties or into <span class="dictionary">state waters</span>. This definition shall not apply to any lot or parcel of land of 10,000 square feet or less used for residential purposes or to shorelines where the erosion results from wave action or other coastal processes.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Farm building or structure</span>&#x201D; means the same as that term is defined in &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Definitions" href="/36-97/">36-97</a> and also includes any building or structure used for agritourism activity, as defined in &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Definitions" href="/3.2-6400/">3.2-6400</a>, and any related impervious surfaces including roads, driveways, and parking areas.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Land disturbance</span>&#x201D; or &#x201C;<span class="dictionary">land-disturbing activity</span>&#x201D; means any man-made change to the land surface that may result in <span class="dictionary">soil erosion</span> or has the potential to change its runoff characteristics, including the clearing, grading, excavating, transporting, and filling of land.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Natural channel design concepts</span>&#x201D; means the utilization of engineering analysis and fluvial geomorphic processes to create, rehabilitate, restore, or stabilize an open conveyance system for the purpose of creating or recreating a stream that conveys its bankfull storm event within its banks and allows larger flows to access its bankfull bench and its floodplain.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Owner</span>&#x201D; means the same as provided in &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Definitions" href="/62.1-44.3/">62.1-44.3</a>. For a <span class="dictionary">land-disturbing activity</span> that is regulated under this article, &#x201C;<span class="dictionary">owner</span>&#x201D; also includes the <span class="dictionary">owner</span> or <span class="dictionary">owners</span> of the freehold of the premises or lesser estate therein, mortgagee or vendee in <span class="dictionary">possession</span>, assignee of rents, receiver, executor, trustee, lessee, or other <span class="dictionary">person</span>, firm, or corporation in control of a property.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Peak flow rate</span>&#x201D; means the maximum instantaneous flow from a given storm condition at a particular location.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Person</span>&#x201D; means any individual, partnership, firm, association, joint venture, public or private corporation, trust, estate, commission, <span class="dictionary">board</span>, public or private institution, utility, cooperative, county, city, <span class="dictionary">town</span>, or other political subdivision of the Commonwealth, governmental body, including a federal or state entity as applicable, any interstate body, or any other legal entity.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Runoff volume</span>&#x201D; means the volume of water that runs off the land development project from a prescribed storm event.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Soil erosion</span>&#x201D; means the movement of soil by wind or water into <span class="dictionary">state waters</span> or onto lands in the Commonwealth.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Town</span>&#x201D; means an incorporated <span class="dictionary">town</span>.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Virginia Erosion and Sediment Control Program</span>&#x201D; or &#x201C;VESCP&#x201D; means a program approved by the <span class="dictionary">Board</span> that has been established by a <span class="dictionary">VESCP authority</span> for the effective control of <span class="dictionary">soil erosion</span>, sediment <span class="dictionary">deposition</span>, and nonagricultural runoff associated with a <span class="dictionary">land-disturbing activity</span> to prevent the unreasonable degradation of properties, stream channels, waters, and other natural resources and shall include such items where applicable as local <span class="dictionary">ordinances</span>, <span class="dictionary">rules</span>, <span class="dictionary">policies</span> and guidelines, technical <span class="dictionary">materials</span>, and requirements for plan review, inspection, and evaluation consistent with the requirements of this article.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary"><span class="dictionary">Virginia Erosion and Sediment Control Program</span> authority</span>&#x201D; or &#x201C;<span class="dictionary">VESCP authority</span>&#x201D; means a locality approved by the <span class="dictionary">Board</span> to operate a <span class="dictionary">Virginia Erosion and Sediment Control Program</span>. A locality that has chosen not to establish a Virginia Erosion and Stormwater Management Program pursuant to subdivision B 3 of &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Virginia Programs for Erosion Control and Stormwater Management" href="/62.1-44.15_27/">62.1-44.15:27</a> is required to become a <span class="dictionary">VESCP authority</span> in accordance with this article.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Virginia Stormwater Management Program</span>&#x201D; or &#x201C;<span class="dictionary">VSMP</span>&#x201D; means a program established by the <span class="dictionary">Board</span> pursuant to &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Virginia Stormwater Management Programs administered by the Board" href="/62.1-44.15_27.1/">62.1-44.15:27.1</a> on behalf of a locality on or after July 1, 2014, to manage the quality and quantity of runoff resulting from any <span class="dictionary">land-disturbing activity</span> that (i) disturbs one acre or more of land or (ii) disturbs less than one acre of land and is part of a larger common plan of development or sale that results in one acre or greater of <span class="dictionary">land disturbance</span>.</p></section></text><history>1973, c. 486, &#xA7; 21-89.3; 1974, c. 265; 1977, c. 149; 1980, c. 305; 1988, cc. 690, 732, 891, &#xA7; 10.1-560; 1990, c. 491; 1991, c. 469; 1992, c. 184; 1993, c. 925; 1994, c. 703; 2003, c. 423; 2004, c. 476; 2005, c. 107; 2006, c. 21; 2009, c. 309; 2012, cc. 785, 819; 2013, cc. 756, 793; 2016, cc. 68, 758; 2023, cc. 48, 49.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
