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193 <br /> RURAL BUFFER IMPLEMENTATION MEASURE <br /> Soil Erosion and Sedimentation Control Ordinance <br /> Description <br /> This ordinance places requirements on Land disturbing <br /> activity. The purpose of the ordinance is to control and <br /> prevent accelerated soil erosion and sedimentation, prevent <br /> the pollution of water, prevent damage to public and private <br /> property, maintain the balance of nature, prevent the ob- <br /> struction of natural and artificial drainageways, inhibit <br /> flooding, and reduce the undermining of transportation <br /> facilities. <br /> • <br /> Before certain land disturbing activities are undertaken <br /> Erosion Control Plans must be prepared. There are two <br /> general sets of requirements . In areas that are not in the <br /> University Lake Watershed, such plans are required when the <br /> area disturbed is more than 20,000 square feet. In the <br /> University Lake Watershed, plans are required for any Land <br /> disturbing activity. <br /> The basic objectives of the Erosion Control Plan are to <br /> limit both the area exposed and the amount of time it is <br /> exposed, to control surface water and sedimentation, and to <br /> manage storm water runoff. The Plan achieves this by estab- <br /> lishing buffers along water courses, limiting disturbances, <br /> establishing ground cover as soon as possible, and designing <br /> erosion and sedimentation control measures. - <br /> Additional standards are placed on Land disturbing <br /> activity in the University Lake Watershed. These include <br /> additional requirements for Erosion Control Plans, protection <br /> of stream banks and channels, and additional restrictions on <br /> access and haul roads. <br /> There are some important exclusions to this ordinance. <br /> Farm activity, forestry activity, and activity by units of <br /> government are excluded from the ordinance. <br /> ARRLication <br /> While the ordinance is applied County-wide, it has <br /> obvious special applications in the University Lake Watershed <br /> portion of the rural buffer. It is one of the strongest <br /> measures available for protecting University Lake reservoir. <br /> Its ability to do so is significantly restricted by the <br /> exclusions to the ordinance. The rural buffer and the <br /> University Lake Watershed in particular contain extensive <br /> amounts of land used for farming and forestry. Successful <br /> retention of these activities in the rural buffer will <br /> continue to restrict the application of this ordinance. <br /> References <br /> Soil Erosion and Sedimentation Control Ordinance, Orange <br /> County. <br />