Definitions
Watercourse includes any natural depression with visible banks,
or wetland with or without visible banks, which contain water at some time; and
include any lake, river, stream, creek, spring, swamp, gulch or surface source of
water whether containing fish or not; and include intermittent streams; and includes
surface drainage works which are inhabited by or provide habitat for fish.
Stream - includes a natural watercourse or source of water
supply, whether usually containing water or not, ground water, and a lake, river,
creek, spring, ravine, swamp and gulch.
Stream Channel - means the bed of a stream and the banks of a stream,
whether above or below the natural boundary and whether usually containing water
or not, including all side channels.
Changes in and about a stream means any modification to the nature
of the stream including the land, vegetation, natural environment or flow of water
within a stream, or any activity or construction within the stream channel that
has or may have an impact on the stream.
Fish Habitat - means spawning grounds and nursery, rearing,
food supply and migration areas on which fish depend directly or indirectly in order
to carry out their life processes.
Riparian zone - the area of the stream bank, including any
side channels and associated banks, which contains upland areas not normally inundated
during high water conditions that has a direct influence on aquatic habitat values.
Aquifer - A saturated geological subsurface formation permeable
enough to yield economic quantities of water to wells.
Groundwater - Water occurring below the ground that infiltrates
and travels sub-surface discharging into streams and Okanagan Lake.
Environmental Value - An aspect of the environment that is important
because of its ecological, economic or social significance to an ecosystem, the
potential consequences of its loss, and/or its economic or social importance. The
term value is not used solely in its economic sense. Examples are domestic water
supplies, fish, ecosystem dependent species or viewscapes.
Natural Conditions - Environmental conditions within the range
of historic variability prior to European settlement. In most cases, natural conditions
should be described in terms of a long term average or norm, with accompanying ranges
for specified conditions (e.g., mean seasonal stream flows with historic maximum
and minimums; peak flows with mean return intervals).
Environmental Risk Assessment - An estimate of the likelihood or
probability of an adverse impact on the environment resulting from human activities.
Leave strip the areas of the land and vegetation adjacent to watercourses
that are to remain in an undisturbed state, throughout and after the development
process.
Hibernacula - The shelter of a hibernating animal.
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