§ 33-2. Definitions.

The definitions set out in this section shall apply to this chapter.

(a)

"Aquifer" means a geologic formation that stores, transmits and yields significant quantities of water to wells and springs.

(b)

"Association" means the Butte Basin Water Users Association.

(c)

"Board" means the board of supervisors of Butte County.

(d)

"Commission" means the Butte County Water Commission, which shall be a nine (9) person commission appointed by the board. The commission shall include one (1) member representing each board district and nominated for appointment by the county supervisor duly elected to represent that district and four (4) members at large of which two (2) are landowners of property served by district water and two (2) are landowners served by private wells.

(e)

"County" means the County of Butte.

(f)

"District" means a district wholly or in part located within the boundaries of the county, which is a purveyor of water for agricultural, domestic, or municipal use.

(g)

"Department" shall mean the Butte County Department of Water and Resource Conservation.

(h)

"Groundwater" means all water beneath the surface of the earth within the zone below the water table in which the soil is completely saturated with water, but does not include water which flows in known and definite channels.

(i)

"Groundwater Management Act" means Water Code Sections 10750 et seq.

(j)

"Hydraulic gradient" means the slope of the water table.

(k)

"Hydrology" means the origin, distribution, and circulation of water through precipitation, stream flow, infiltration, groundwater storage, and evaporation.

(l)

"Overdraft" means the condition of an aquifer where the amount of water withdrawn by pumping exceeds the amount of water replenishing the aquifer over the water year and also the point at which extractions from the aquifer exceed its safe yield plus any temporary surplus.

(m)

"Percolation" means the movement of water through the soil to the groundwater table.

(n)

"Permeability" means the capability of the soil or another geologic formation to transmit water.

(o)

"Piezometric surface" means the surface to which the water in a confined aquifer will rise.

(p)

"Porosity" means voids or open spaces in alluvium and rocks that can be filled with water.

(q)

"Recharge" means flow to groundwater storage from precipitation, irrigation, infiltration from streams, spreading basins and other sources of water.

(r)

"Safe yield" means the maximum quantity of water which can be withdrawn annually from an aquifer under a given set of conditions without causing overdraft or adverse water quality conditions.

(s)

"Saline intrusion" means the movement of salt water into fresh water aquifers.

(t)

"Specific capacity" means the volume of water pumped from a well in gallons per minute per foot of drawn down.

(u)

"Spreading water" means discharging native or imported water to a permeable area for the purpose of allowing it to percolate to the zone of saturation. Spreading, artificial recharge and replenishment all refer to operations used to place water in a groundwater table.

(v)

"Subbasin" means one (1) of the four (4) subbasins within the county, including the East Butte, Palermo, Vina, and West Butte subbasins defined by the California Department of Water Resources.

(w)

"Technical advisory committee" means a seven (7) person committee nominated by the commission and appointed by the board. They each must have substantial expertise in water management or hydrology.

(x)

"Transmissivity" means the rate of flow of water through an aquifer.

(y)

"Water table" means the surface or level where groundwater is encountered in a well in an unconfined aquifer.

(z)

"Water year" means the year beginning February 1 and ending the last day of the following January.

(aa)

"Zone of saturation" means the area below the water table in which the soil is completely saturated with groundwater.

(Ord. No. 3303-A, § 2.01, 12-10-96; Ord. No. 3329, §§ 1, 2, 5, 5-13-97; Ord. No. 3505, § 1, 4-13-99)