Wyoming Administrative Code › Agency 020 - Environmental Quality, Dept. of › Sub-Agency 0011 - Water Quality › Chapter 1 - WYOMING SURFACE WATER QUALITY STANDARDS › Section 1-2 - Definitions

Current through July 13, 2024
(a) The definitions
				in
				W.S. 35-11-103(a) and
				(c) of the Wyoming Environmental Quality Act
				apply to these rules. For example:
(i)
				"Credible data" means scientifically valid chemical, physical and biological
				monitoring data collected under an accepted sampling and analysis plan,
				including quality control, quality assurance procedures and available
				historical data;
(ii) "Discharge"
				means any addition of any pollution or wastes to any waters of the
				state;
(iii) "Ecological function"
				means the ability of an area to support vegetation and fish and wildlife
				populations, recharge aquifers, stabilize base flows, attenuate flooding, trap
				sediment and remove or transform nutrients and other pollutants;
(iv) "Man-made wetlands" means those wetlands
				that are created intentionally or occur incidental to human activities, and
				includes any enhancement made to an existing wetland which increases its
				function or value;
(v) "Mitigation"
				means all actions to avoid, minimize, restore and compensate for ecological
				functions or wetland values lost;
(vi) "Natural wetlands" means those wetlands
				that occur independently of human manipulation of the landscape;
(vii) "Nonpoint source" means any source of
				pollution other than a point source. For purposes of
				W.S.
				16-1-201 through
				16-1-207
				only, nonpoint source includes leaking underground storage tanks as defined by
				W.S.
				35-11-1415(a)(ix) and
				aboveground storage tanks as defined by
				W.S.
				35-11-1415(a)(xi);
(viii) "Point source" means any discernible,
				confined and discrete conveyance, including but not limited to any pipe, ditch,
				channel, tunnel, conduit, well, discrete fissure, container, rolling stock,
				concentrated animal feeding operation or vessel or other floating craft, from
				which pollutants are or may be discharged;
(ix) "Pollution" means contamination or other
				alteration of the physical, chemical or biological properties of any waters of
				the state, including change in temperature, taste, color, turbidity or odor of
				the waters or any discharge of any acid or toxic material, chemical or chemical
				compound, whether it be liquid, gaseous, solid, radioactive or other substance,
				including wastes, into any waters of the state which creates a nuisance or
				renders any waters harmful, detrimental or injurious to public health, safety
				or welfare, to domestic, commercial, industrial, agricultural, recreational or
				other legitimate beneficial uses, or to livestock, wildlife or aquatic life, or
				which degrades the water for its intended use, or adversely affects the
				environment. This term does not mean water, gas or other material which is
				injected into a well to facilitate production of oil, or gas or water, derived
				in association with oil or gas production and disposed of in a well, if the
				well used either to facilitate production or for disposal purposes is approved
				by authority of the state, and if the state determines that such injection or
				disposal well will not result in the degradation of ground or surface or water
				resources;
(x) "Wastes" means
				sewage, industrial waste and all other liquid, gaseous, solid, radioactive, or
				other substances which may pollute any waters of the state;
(xi) "Waters of the state" means all surface
				and groundwater, including waters associated with wetlands, within
				Wyoming;
(xii) "Wetlands" means
				those areas in Wyoming having all three (3) essential characteristics:
(A) Hydrophytic vegetation;
(B) Hydric soils; and
(C) Wetland hydrology.
(xiii) "Wetland value" means those socially
				significant attributes of wetlands such as uniqueness, heritage, recreation,
				aesthetics and a variety of economic values.