Sec. 25-231. Definitions.

As used in sections 25-230 to 25-238, inclusive:

(1) “Approved river corridor management plan” means a river corridor management plan approved by the commissioner pursuant to section 25-235;

(2) “Commissioner” means the Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection or his agent;

(3) “Local drainage basin” means a local drainage basin as referenced on a map entitled “Natural Drainage Basins of Connecticut”, published by the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, 1981;

(4) “Major state plan” means any of the following: The plan for development of outdoor recreation adopted pursuant to section 22a-21, the state-wide solid waste management plan adopted pursuant to section 22a-228, the state-wide plan for the management of water resources adopted pursuant to section 22a-352, the state-wide environmental plan adopted pursuant to section 22a-8, the historic preservation plan adopted under the National Historic Preservation Act, 16 USC 470 et seq., the state-wide facility and capital plan adopted pursuant to section 4b-23, the state's consolidated plan for housing and community development prepared pursuant to section 8-37t, the water quality management plan adopted under the federal Clean Water Act, 33 USC 1251 et seq., any plans for managing forest resources adopted pursuant to section 23-20 and the Connecticut River Atlantic Salmon Compact adopted pursuant to section 26-302;

(5) “Member municipality” means a municipality which is a member of a river commission established pursuant to section 25-232;

(6) “Person” means person, as defined in section 22a-2;

(7) “River advisory board” means any of the following: The Five Mile River Commission established pursuant to section 15-26a, the Connecticut River Gateway Commission established pursuant to section 25-102e, the Connecticut River Assembly established pursuant to section 25-102dd, the Bi-State Pawcatuck River Commission established pursuant to section 25-161, the Niantic River Gateway Commission established pursuant to section 25-109e, the Housatonic Estuary Commission established pursuant to section 25-170, the Farmington River Coordinating Committee established pursuant to the National Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, 16 USC 1274 et seq., the Shepaug-Bantam River Board or a river committee established pursuant to section 25-203;

(8) “River corridor” means any river, river segment or river system, together with its floodplains, wetlands and uplands, contributing overland runoff to such river, river segment or river system;

(9) “River commission” means a river commission established pursuant to section 25-232;

(10) “River system” means a river, its tributaries and any lands draining into such river or its tributaries;

(11) “Secretary” means the Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management or his agent;

(12) “State rivers assessment database” means the state-wide assessment of the state's rivers prepared by the commissioner pursuant to subdivision (3) of subsection (c) of section 25-102qq;

(13) “State plan for conservation and development” means the state plan for conservation and development prepared pursuant to part I of chapter 297;

(14) “Subregional drainage basin” means a subregional drainage basin as referenced on a map entitled “Natural Drainage Basins of Connecticut”, published by the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, 1981;

(15) “Water-dependent use” means a use which, by its nature or function, requires direct access to, or location in or immediately adjacent to, water and which therefore cannot be located upland, and includes such recreational uses as riverside trails and bicycle paths;

(16) “Use” means agriculture, public and private water supply, power generation, waste assimilation, transportation, recreation, including, but not limited to, boating, swimming, fishing, camping and hiking and residential, commercial, industrial and other water-dependent uses; and

(17) “Resource” means any riparian waters of the state, related fisheries and wildlife habitat and adjacent shorelands, both developed and undeveloped; any vegetation, fish and wildlife; endangered and threatened species, species of special concern and essential habitat identified by the commissioner pursuant to chapter 495; tidal and inland wetlands; unique geologic features; scenic areas; forest lands, as defined in section 23-65f; agricultural lands, as defined in section 22-26bb; and archaeological and other historical resources.

(P.A. 95-333, S. 2; P.A. 96-118, S. 3; P.A. 99-94, S. 8; P.A. 03-140, S. 23; P.A. 06-76, S. 7; P.A. 07-242, S. 113; P.A. 11-80, S. 1; 11-124, S. 7; P.A. 13-277, S. 19; 13-299, S. 33, 34; P.A. 14-94, S. 68.)

History: P.A. 96-118 deleted reference to “the Housatonic River Commission established pursuant to section 25-102r of the general statutes,” from Subdiv. (7); P.A. 99-94 amended Subdiv. (4) by changing “housing advisory plan” to “long-range state housing plan”; P.A. 03-140 replaced “16a-35m” with “16a-7a” in Subdiv. (4), effective July 1, 2003; P.A. 06-76 amended Subdiv. (4) to delete reference to the Connecticut hazardous waste management plan; P.A. 07-242 amended Subdiv. (4) to delete reference to comprehensive energy plan adopted pursuant to Sec. 16a-7a, effective July 1, 2007; pursuant to P.A. 11-80, “Commissioner of Environmental Protection” and “Department of Environmental Protection” were changed editorially by the Revisors to “Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection” and “Department of Energy and Environmental Protection”, respectively, effective July 1, 2011; P.A. 11-124 amended Subdiv. (4) to redefine “major state plan” by replacing “long-range housing plan adopted” with “state's consolidated plan for housing and community development prepared”; P.A. 13-277 amended Subdiv. (4) to redefine “major state plan” by deleting reference to master transportation plan, effective July 1, 2013; P.A. 13-299 amended Subdiv. (7) to redefine “river advisory board” by deleting reference to Secs. 25-102pp and 25-102qq and amended Subdiv. (12) to redefine “state rivers assessment database” by replacing reference to Sec. 25-102qq(d) with reference to Sec. 25-102qq(c), effective July 1, 2013; P.A. 14-94 amended Subdiv. (4) to redefine “major state plan” by replacing reference to state solid waste management plan with reference to state-wide solid waste management plan and replacing reference to Sec. 22a-211 with reference to Sec. 22a-228, effective June 6, 2014.