Whenever in this chapter the following words or phrases are used, they shall have
the following meanings:
"Area of special flood hazard" means the land in the flood plain within a community
subject to the one percent or greater chance of flooding in any given year.
"Board of building appeals" or "board" means the board of building appeals referred
to in section 10-17 of the Santa Barbara County Code.
"Building official" means the deputy director of the building and safety division
of the planning and development department, for the County of Santa Barbara, or his/her
authorized representatives.
"Development" means any man-made change to improved or unimproved real property, including,
but not limited to, buildings or structures, mining, dredging, filling, grading, paving,
excavation or drilling operations.
"Flood insurance rate map (FIRM)" means the official map on which the Federal Insurance
Administration has delineated both the areas of special flood hazards and the risk
premium zones applicable to the community.
"Flood insurance study" means the official report provided by the Federal Insurance
Administration that includes flood profiles, the flood boundary-floodway map, and
the water surface elevation of the flood which has a one percent chance of being equaled
or exceeded in any given year.
"Four rivers" means the Santa Ynez River, the Santa Maria River, the Sisquoc River
and the Cuyama River.
"Person" means and includes a natural person, a corporation, a partnership, or any
other legal entity.
"Substantial improvement" means "substantial improvement" as that term is defined
in subparagraph (71) of section 15A-5 of chapter 15A of the Santa Barbara County Code.
"Toe of the bank" means the line formed by the intersection of the general plane of
the sloping side of a watercourse with the general plane of the bed of the watercourse.
"Top of the bank" means the lien formed by the intersection of the general plane of
the sloping side of the watercourse with the general plane of the upper generally
level ground along the watercourse; or, if the existing sloping side of the watercourse
is steeper than the angle of repose (critical slope) of the soil or geologic structure
involved, "top of the bank" shall mean the intersection of a plane beginning at the
toe of the bank and sloping at the angle of repose with the generally level ground
along the watercourse. The angle of repose is assumed to be 1.5 (horizontal): 1 (vertical)
unless otherwise specified by a geologist or soils engineer with knowledge of the
soil or geologic structure involved.
"Watercourse" means and includes rivers, streams, creeks, arroyos, gulches, washes,
and drainage channels, and the beds thereof, whether containing water or dry, and
whether natural and man-made; provided, however, that for the purpose of this chapter
the term "watercourse" means and includes only those parts of a watercourse which
are included within the areas of special flood hazard shown in the flood insurance
rate maps and to those parts of a watercourse which lie between areas of special flood
hazard on the same watercourse.
