Section 129.03. Definitions.

  For the purposes of this chapter:

(1)  "Approval" means the written approval of the department.

(2)  "Authorized representative" means the municipal official or employee designated by resolution of the governing body of a municipality to act on behalf of the municipality in obtaining a grant under this chapter.

(3)  "Detailed floodplain study" means a hydrologic and hydraulic analysis to determine the flood flow discharge for a given flood frequency and the resulting water surface profile of a watercourse.

(4)  "Department" means the department of natural resources.

(5)  "Flood" means a general and temporary condition of partial or complete inundation of normally dry land areas caused by the overflow or rise of rivers, streams, or lakes.

(6)  "Floodplain" means the land which has been or may be hereafter covered by flood water during the regional flood. The floodplain includes the floodway and the flood fringe.

(7)  "Flood fringe" means that portion of the floodplain outside of the floodway, which is covered by flood waters during the regional flood, and is generally associated with standing water rather than rapidly flowing water.

(8)  "Floodplain management" means the full range of public policy and action for insuring wise use of floodplains. It includes everything from the collection and dissemination of flood control information to actual acquisition of floodplain lands and the enactment and administration of codes, ordinances and statutes for land use in the floodplain.

(9)  "Floodway" means the channel of a river or stream and those portions of the floodplain adjoining the channel required to carry and discharge the flood water or flood flows associated with the regional flood.

(10)  "High flood damage potential" means the potential for any danger to life or health and any significant economic loss to a structure or building or its contents.

(11)  "Municipality" means any county, city or village.

(12)  "Official floodplain zoning map" means the map or maps adopted by a county, city or village, approved by the department, referenced in an official floodplain zoning ordinance and used for regulatory purposes.

(13)  "Official shoreland zoning map" means the map or maps adopted by a county, approved by the department, referenced in the county's official shoreland zoning ordinance and used for regulatory purposes.

(14)  "Regional flood" means the flood determined to be representative of large floods known to have generally occurred in Wisconsin and which may be expected to occur on a particular stream because of like physical characteristics. The regional flood is based upon a statistical analysis of streamflow records available for the watershed and/or an analysis of rainfall and runoff characteristics in the general watershed region. The flood frequency of the regional flood is once in every 100 years; this means that in any given year there is a 1% chance that the regional flood may occur. During a typical 30-year mortgage period, the regional flood has a 26% chance of occurring.

(15)  "Shoreland" means lands within the following distances from the ordinary high-water mark of navigable waters: 1000 feet from a lake, pond, or flowage; and 300 feet from a river or stream or to the landward side of the floodplain, whichever distance is greater.

(16)  "Structure" means any public or private man-made object with form, shape and utility, either permanently or temporarily attached to or placed upon the ground, river bed, stream bed or lakebed.

(17)  "Topographic map" means a map representing a portion of the earth's surface showing the culture, relief, hydrography, and vegetation.

(18)  "Water surface profile" means a graphical representation of the elevation of the water surface throughout a county, city or village based upon a certain flow passing through the river or stream. A water surface profile based upon flows occurring during a regional flood is used in regulating floodplain areas.

History: Cr. Register, May, 1980, No. 293 , eff. 6-1-80; am. (3) and (6) to (9), renum. (10) to (17) to be (11) to (18) and am. (12), (13), (15) and (18), cr. (10), Register, April, 1983, No. 328 , eff. 5-1-83.