Draft chapter 161: Post-construction Stormwater Runoff Control

§ 161.04 Playing In

The 2026 draft's § 161.04 beside the current code's § 161.04: removed words are struck through, added words underlined.

Comparison with a draft: not adopted. The archive holds no public hearing, ordinance or vote adopting the recodified Code through the October 20, 2026 meeting packet. Until one is adopted, every page here compares the consolidated code with a draft that can still change: the revised draft with the October 6 changes is not in the archive.

A comparison with the August 2026 draft recodification prepared by Iowa Codification for the City. The draft has not been adopted and can still change; the current code (unofficial compilation) governs until a recodified Code is adopted. Matches between sections are made by machine from the texts and are reviewed where uncertain.

Wording changed minor wording (97% same words)

What changed

The following definitions apply in this chapter. References to "sections" “sections” means references to sections in this chapter unless otherwise specified. Defined terms remain the same whether capitalized or not capitalized.
1. "Applicant" “Applicant” means any individual, firm, corporation, association, partnership, limited liability company, or any other business entity or proprietor of land that will perform land-disturbing activity.
2. "Best “Best management practices" practices” (BMPs) means physical, structural, and, and or managerial practices that, when used singly or in combination, control activities, including (but not limited to) site runoff, spillage and leaks, and waste disposal, and prevent or reduce the discharge of pollutants directly or indirectly to the waters of the United States. BMPs may include schedules of activities, prohibition of practices, design standards, educational activities, and treatment requirements.
3. "Building" “Building” means any structure, either temporary or permanent, having walls and a roof, designed for the shelter of any person, animal, or property occupying over 100 square feet.
4. "Building permit" “Building permit” means a permit issued pursuant to the Code of Ordinances.
5. "Channel “Channel protection storage volume" volume” means providing 24-hour extended detention of the one-year 24-hour storm event. If channel protection and water quality volumes share a common extended detention facility and outlet structure, water quality volume may be included in the channel protection volume.
6. "City storm water standards" “City stormwater standards” means the guidelines provided for in the Iowa Storm Water Stormwater Management Manual and this chapter as amended. When conflict occurs between the Iowa Storm Water Stormwater Management Manual and this chapter, requirements of this chapter will apply.
7. "Dedication" “Dedication” means the deliberate appropriation of property by its owner for general public use.
8. "Developer" “Developer” means a person who undertakes land-disturbing activities.
9. "Development" “Development” means either:
A. Land-disturbing activity one acre or greater, or which is part of a larger common plan of development; or
B. Any land-disturbing activity for any commercial, industrial, or multi-family residential use as defined by the City of Tiffin Zoning Code.
10. "Drainage easement" “Drainage easement” means a legal right granted by a landowner, to a grantee for the purposes of allowing use of private land for storm water stormwater management purposes.
11. "Iowa Storm Water “Iowa Stormwater Management Manual" Manual” means the manual collaboratively developed by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) and the Center for Transportation Research and Education (CTRE) at Iowa State University that contains the sizing criteria, design design, and specification guidelines, and BMPs that address storm water stormwater quality and quality management.
12. "Land-disturbing activity" “Land-disturbing activity” means any activity that results in a movement of earth or a change in the existing soil cover (both vegetative and non-vegetative) or the existing topography. Land-disturbing activity includes, but is not limited to, clearing, grading, filling, excavation or addition or replacement of impervious surface.
13. "Landowner" “Landowner” means the legal or beneficial owner of land, including those holding the right to purchase or lease the land, or any other person holding proprietary rights in the land.
14. "Maintenance agreement" “Maintenance agreement” means a legally recorded document that acts as a property deed restriction, and which provides for the long-term maintenance of BMPs.
15. "Overbank “Overbank flood protection volume" volume” means providing discharge control such that the post-development 100-year storm event peak discharge does not exceed the five-year pre-development peak discharge. If channel protection, water quality, and overbank flood protection volumes share a common extended detention facility and outlet structure, water quality and channel protection volumes may be included in the overbank flood protection discharge control.
16. "Responsible person" “Responsible person” means an individual identified in a permit issued by the City as the principal contact for communications regarding the permit.
17. "Storm water" “Stormwater” means any surface flow, runoff, and drainage consisting entirely of water from any form of natural precipitation and resulting from such precipitation.
18. "Storm water management" “Stormwater management” means the use of BMPs that are designed in accordance with the City storm water stormwater standards to reduce storm water stormwater runoff pollutant loads, discharge volumes, peak flow discharge rates, and detrimental changes in stream temperature that affect water quality and habitat.
19. "Storm Water “Stormwater Pollution Protection Plan" Plan” (SWPPP), means a document which describes the best management practices and activities to be implemented by a person to identify sources of pollution or contamination at a site and the actions to eliminate or reduce pollutant discharges to storm water, storm water stormwater, stormwater conveyance systems, and, and or receiving waters of the United States to the maximum extent practicable.
20. "Storm water “Stormwater wet detention pond" pond” means a constructed storm water stormwater detention basin that has a permanent pool of water. Minimum pool depth must be ten 10 feet for at least 25% 25 percent of the permanent pool area. Upon completion of the pond, the owner must stock the pond with appropriate bass, bluegill, and catfish combination. Owner The owner may contact IDNR fisheries for fish stocking.
21. "Water “Water quality volume" volume” means the storage needed to capture and treat the runoff from 90% 90 percent of the average annual rainfall. For purposes of this chapter, the design rainfall depth for determining water quality volume is 1.25 inches.

Word-level comparison of the current text with the draft's; spacing and paragraph breaks come from the documents' text. Footnotes are left out.

Current code

§ 161.04 Definitions

The following definitions apply in this chapter. References to "sections" means references to sections in this chapter unless otherwise specified. Defined terms remain the same whether capitalized or not capitalized.

1. "Applicant" means any individual, firm, corporation, association, partnership, limited liability company, or any other business entity or proprietor of land that will perform land-disturbing activity.

2. "Best management practices" (BMPs) means physical, structural, and, or managerial practices that, when used singly or in combination, control activities, including (but not limited to) site runoff, spillage and leaks, and waste disposal, and prevent or reduce the discharge of pollutants directly or indirectly to the waters of the United States. BMPs may include schedules of activities, prohibition of practices, design standards, educational activities, and treatment requirements.

3. "Building" means any structure, either temporary or permanent, having walls and a roof, designed for the shelter of any person, animal, or property occupying over 100 square feet.

4. "Building permit" means a permit issued pursuant to the Code of Ordinances.

5. "Channel protection storage volume" means providing 24-hour extended detention of the one-year 24-hour storm event. If channel protection and water quality volumes share a common extended detention facility and outlet structure, water quality volume may be included in the channel protection volume.

6. "City storm water standards" means the guidelines provided for in the Iowa Storm Water Management Manual and this chapter as amended. When conflict occurs between the Iowa Storm Water Management Manual and this chapter, requirements of this chapter will apply.

7. "Dedication" means the deliberate appropriation of property by its owner for general public use.

8. "Developer" means a person who undertakes land-disturbing activities.

9. "Development" means either:

A. Land-disturbing activity one acre or greater, or which is part of a larger common plan of development; or

B. Any land-disturbing activity for any commercial, industrial, or multi-family residential use as defined by the City of Tiffin Zoning Code.

10. "Drainage easement" means a legal right granted by a landowner, to a grantee for the purposes of allowing use of private land for storm water management purposes.

11. "Iowa Storm Water Management Manual" means the manual collaboratively developed by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) and the Center for Transportation Research and Education (CTRE) at Iowa State University that contains the sizing criteria, design and specification guidelines, and BMPs that address storm water quality and quality management.

12. "Land-disturbing activity" means any activity that results in a movement of earth or a change in the existing soil cover (both vegetative and non-vegetative) or the existing topography. Land-disturbing activity includes, but is not limited to, clearing, grading, filling, excavation or addition or replacement of impervious surface.

13. "Landowner" means the legal or beneficial owner of land, including those holding the right to purchase or lease the land, or any other person holding proprietary rights in the land.

14. "Maintenance agreement" means a legally recorded document that acts as a property deed restriction, and which provides for the long-term maintenance of BMPs.

15. "Overbank flood protection volume" means providing discharge control such that the post-development 100-year storm event peak discharge does not exceed the five-year pre-development peak discharge. If channel protection, water quality, and overbank flood protection volumes share a common extended detention facility and outlet structure, water quality and channel protection volumes may be included in the overbank flood protection discharge control.

16. "Responsible person" means an individual identified in a permit issued by the City as the principal contact for communications regarding the permit.

17. "Storm water" means any surface flow, runoff, and drainage consisting entirely of water from any form of natural precipitation and resulting from such precipitation.

18. "Storm water management" means the use of BMPs that are designed in accordance with the City storm water standards to reduce storm water runoff pollutant loads, discharge volumes, peak flow discharge rates, and detrimental changes in stream temperature that affect water quality and habitat.

19. "Storm Water Pollution Protection Plan" (SWPPP), means a document which describes the best management practices and activities to be implemented by a person to identify sources of pollution or contamination at a site and the actions to eliminate or reduce pollutant discharges to storm water, storm water conveyance systems, and, or receiving waters of the United States to the maximum extent practicable.

20. "Storm water wet detention pond" means a constructed storm water detention basin that has a permanent pool of water. Minimum pool depth must be ten feet for at least 25% of the permanent pool area. Upon completion of the pond, the owner must stock the pond with appropriate bass, bluegill, and catfish combination. Owner may contact IDNR fisheries for fish stocking.

21. "Water quality volume" means the storage needed to capture and treat the runoff from 90% of the average annual rainfall. For purposes of this chapter, the design rainfall depth for determining water quality volume is 1.25 inches.

Ord. 2012-313 · source page

2026 draft

§ 161.04 Playing In

The following definitions apply in this chapter. References to “sections” means references to sections in this chapter unless otherwise specified. Defined terms remain the same whether capitalized or not capitalized.

1. “Applicant” means any individual, firm, corporation, association, partnership, limited liability company, or any other business entity or proprietor of land that will perform land-disturbing activity.

2. “Best management practices” (BMPs) means physical, structural, and or managerial practices that, when used singly or in combination, control activities, including (but not limited to) site runoff, spillage and leaks, and waste disposal, and prevent or reduce the discharge of pollutants directly or indirectly to the waters of the United States. BMPs may include schedules of activities, prohibition of practices, design standards, educational activities, and treatment requirements.

3. “Building” means any structure, either temporary or permanent, having walls and a roof, designed for the shelter of any person, animal, or property occupying over 100 square feet.

4. “Building permit” means a permit issued pursuant to the Code of Ordinances.

5. “Channel protection storage volume” means providing 24-hour extended detention of the one-year 24-hour storm event. If channel protection and water quality volumes share a common extended detention facility and outlet structure, water quality volume may be included in the channel protection volume.

6. “City stormwater standards” means the guidelines provided for in the Iowa Stormwater Management Manual and this chapter as amended. When conflict occurs between the Iowa Stormwater Management Manual and this chapter, requirements of this chapter will apply.

7. “Dedication” means the deliberate appropriation of property by its owner for general public use.

8. “Developer” means a person who undertakes land-disturbing activities.

9. “Development” means either:

A. Land-disturbing activity one acre or greater, or which is part of a larger common plan of development; or

B. Any land-disturbing activity for any commercial, industrial, or multi-family residential use as defined by the Zoning Code.

10. “Drainage easement” means a legal right granted by a landowner, to a grantee for the purposes of allowing use of private land for stormwater management purposes.

11. “Iowa Stormwater Management Manual” means the manual collaboratively developed by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) and the Center for Transportation Research and Education (CTRE) at Iowa State University that contains the sizing criteria, design, and specification guidelines, and BMPs that address stormwater quality and quality management.

12. “Land-disturbing activity” means any activity that results in a movement of earth or a change in the existing soil cover (both vegetative and non-vegetative) or the existing topography. Land-disturbing activity includes, but is not limited to, clearing, grading, filling, excavation or addition or replacement of impervious surface.

13. “Landowner” means the legal or beneficial owner of land, including those holding the right to purchase or lease the land, or any other person holding proprietary rights in the land.

14. “Maintenance agreement” means a legally recorded document that acts as a property deed restriction, and which provides for the long-term maintenance of BMPs.

15. “Overbank flood protection volume” means providing discharge control such that the post-development 100-year storm event peak discharge does not exceed the five-year pre-development peak discharge. If channel protection, water quality, and overbank flood protection volumes share a common extended detention facility and outlet structure, water quality and channel protection volumes may be included in the overbank flood protection discharge control.

16. “Responsible person” means an individual identified in a permit issued by the City as the principal contact for communications regarding the permit.

17. “Stormwater” means any surface flow, runoff, and drainage consisting entirely of water from any form of natural precipitation and resulting from such precipitation.

18. “Stormwater management” means the use of BMPs that are designed in accordance with the City stormwater standards to reduce stormwater runoff pollutant loads, discharge volumes, peak flow discharge rates, and detrimental changes in stream temperature that affect water quality and habitat.

19. “Stormwater Pollution Protection Plan” (SWPPP), means a document which describes the best management practices and activities to be implemented by a person to identify sources of pollution or contamination at a site and the actions to eliminate or reduce pollutant discharges to stormwater, stormwater conveyance systems, and or receiving waters of the United States to the maximum extent practicable.

20. “Stormwater wet detention pond” means a constructed stormwater detention basin that has a permanent pool of water. Minimum pool depth must be 10 feet for at least 25 percent of the permanent pool area. Upon completion of the pond, the owner must stock the pond with appropriate bass, bluegill, and catfish combination. The owner may contact IDNR fisheries for fish stocking.

21. “Water quality volume” means the storage needed to capture and treat the runoff from 90 percent of the average annual rainfall. For purposes of this chapter, the design rainfall depth for determining water quality volume is 1.25 inches.

August 2026 draft · page 403

Back to draft chapter 161 · All changes

Data last updated October 22, 2026. Built from the archive's documents; see how the data is built.