Maps, Forms & Glossary

A complex of natural, primarily native or indigenous vegetation, not currently subject to cultivation or artificial landscaping, a primary purpose of which is to provide habitat for wildlife, either terrestrial or aquatic. For purposes of this part, habitat has the same meaning as natural habitat. This definition excludes rights-of-way that are acquired with Federal transportation funds specifically for highway purposes. (Electronic Code of Federal Regulations, Title 23, Part 777, March 2016)

The waters of the United States, including the territorial seas. (New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, In-Water and Riparian Management of Sediment and Dredged Material, November 2004)

All lakes, rivers, streams and other bodies of water in the State that are navigable in fact or upon which vessels with a capacity of one or more persons can be operated notwithstanding interruptions to navigation by artificial structures, shallows, rapids or other obstructions, or by seasonal variations in capacity to support navigation. It does not include waters that are surrounded by land held in single private ownership at every point in their total area. (Rules and Regulations of the State of New York, Title 6. Dept. of Environmental Conservation, Chapter 5. Subchapter E, Part 608. Use and Protection of Waters, Definitions)

Those waters of the United States that are subject to the ebb and flow of the tide shoreward to the mean high water mark and/or are presently used, or have been used in the past, or may be susceptible to use in the future to transport interstate or foreign commerce. These are waters that are navigable in the traditional sense where permits are required for certain activities pursuant to Section 10. This term should not be confused with the term ñwaters of the United Statesî. (US Army Corps of Engineers New York District, Regulatory Program Applicant Information Guide, 2014)

Nondestructive Testing. Testing such as ultrasonic thickness measurement of steel. (New York City Economic Development Corporation, Waterfront Facilities Maintenance Management System, May 2016)

In beach terminology, an indefinite zone extending seaward from the shoreline well beyond the breaker zone (US Army Corps of Engineers, Low Cost Shore Protection: A Property Owner's Guide, 2004)

A written document issued when the lead agency determines that there would not be a significant impact on the environment as a result of the project. See 6 NYCRR 617.2 (y). (NYC Mayor's Office of Sustainability)

If a federal agency funds part of a project, approves a permit, or undertakes a project, that agency must comply with NEPA before taking its action. NEPA requires all federal agencies to evaluate the environmental consequences of proposed actions and to consider alternatives. (NYC Mayor's Office of Sustainability)

A wetland resource conservation and management principle under which, over the long term, unavoidable losses of wetlands area or Functional capacity due to highway projects are offset by gains at a ratio greater than 1:1, through restoration, enhancement, Preservation, or creation of wetlands or associated areas critical to the protection or conservation of wetland functions. This definition Specifically excludes natural habitat, as defined in this section, other than wetlands. (Electronic Code of Federal Regulations, Title 23, Part 777, March 2016)

A non-tidal wetland is a wetland that is not subject to the ebb and flow of tidal waters. Non-tidal wetlands contiguous to tidal waters are located landward of the High Tide line (i.e., Spring High Tide Line). (US Army Corps of Engineers, 2012 Nationwide Permits, Conditions, and Definitions)

A soil that resists deformation by the mechanical interlocking of its particles (gravel, sand, silt). (New York City Economic Development Corporation, Waterfront Facilities Maintenance Management System, May 2016)

Known as NAVD88, it is the vertical column datum established for vertical control surveying in the United States of America. (Virginia Institute of Marine Science, Living Shoreline Design Guidelines for Shore Protection in Virginia' s Estuarine Environments, 2010)

A written document issued by the lead agency that a DEIS or FEIS has been completed. It contains prescribed information about the environmental review and, for a DEIS, information about the public comment period. (NYC Mayor's Office of Sustainability)

Process of replenishing a beach either naturally by longshore transport or artificially by delivery of materials dredged or excavated elsewhere. (US Army Corps of Engineers, Low Cost Shore Protection: A Property Owner's Guide, 2004)

New York City Department of City Planning

New York City Department of Small Business Services

New York City Economic Development Corporation

The official compilation of New York Codes, Rules and Regulations. (NYC Mayor's Office of Sustainability)

New Yorks State Department of Environmental Conservation

New York State Department of State

Term used to designate the direction of something moving away from land. On marine structures the term is used to distinguish a thing or an area from another by its further proximity from the shoreline. (New York City Economic Development Corporation, Waterfront Facilities Maintenance Management System, May 2016)

Compensatory mitigation which replaces wetlands or natural habitat area or functions lost as a result of a highway project with the same or like wetland or habitat type and functions adjacent or contiguous to the site of the impact. (Electronic Code of Federal Regulations, Title 23, Part 777, March 2016)

Designates the direction of something moving onto or toward the shore, as well as something situated or operating on land. (New York City Economic Development Corporation, Waterfront Facilities Maintenance Management System, May 2016)

For purposes of US Army Corps of Engineers and its Nationwide Permits, an open water is any area that in a year with normal patterns of precipitation has water flowing or standing above ground to the extent that an ordinary high water mark can be determined. Aquatic vegetation within the area of standing or flowing water is either non-emergent, sparse, or absent. Vegetated shallows are considered to be open waters. Examples of "open waters" include rivers, streams, lakes, and ponds. (US Army Corps of Engineers, 2012 Nationwide Permits, Conditions, and Definitions)

The line on the shore in non-tidal areas established by the fluctuations of water and indicated by physical characteristics such as a clear, natural line impressed on the bank, shelving, changes in the character of soil, destruction of terrestrial vegetation, the presence of litter and debris, or other appropriate means that consider the characteristics of the surrounding area. (US Army Corps of Engineers New York District, Regulatory Program Applicant Information Guide, 2014)

The mouth of a drain or sewer. (New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, In-Water and Riparian Management of Sediment and Dredged Material, November 2004)

Soil that is above another strata of soil or an object. (New York City Economic Development Corporation, Waterfront Facilities Maintenance Management System, May 2016)

Passing of water over a structure from wave runup or surge action. (US Army Corps of Engineers, Low Cost Shore Protection: A Property Owner's Guide, 2004)

The loss of electrons by the atoms making up a metal member, typically ferrous, initiating the corrosion process. (New York City Economic Development Corporation, Waterfront Facilities Maintenance Management System, May 2016)

A substance that exceeds a threshold value for assessment. (New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, In-Water and Riparian Management of Sediment and Dredged Material, November 2004)

Residual product produced by partial decomposition of organic matter in marshes and bogs. (US Army Corps of Engineers, Low Cost Shore Protection: A Property Owner's Guide, 2004)

Pot formed from compressed peat and filled either with soil or peat moss in which a plant or plants, grown from seed, are transplanted without being removed from the pot. (US Army Corps of Engineers, Low Cost Shore Protection: A Property Owner's Guide, 2004)

Beach or fillet of sand retained above the otherwise normal profile level by a submerged dike or sill. (US Army Corps of Engineers, Low Cost Shore Protection: A Property Owner's Guide, 2004)

A perennial stream has flowing water year-round during a typical year. The water table is located above the stream bed for most of the year. Groundwater is the primary source of water for stream flow. Runoff from rainfall is a supplemental source of water for stream flow. (US Army Corps of Engineers, 2012 Nationwide Permits, Conditions, and Definitions)

A boundary of a docking facility or mooring area consisting of a series of connected imaginary lines on a plan or map, encompassing all related structures such as docks, bulkheads, breakwaters, pilings, piers, platforms or moorings and the travel lanes and berthing areas that function together to create a facility or area at which vessels may be docked or moored. (Rules and Regulations of the State of New York, Title 6. Dept. of Environmental Conservation, Chapter 5. Subchapter E, Part 608. Use and Protection of Waters, Definitions)

Refers to the transformation half life of a chemical in the environment (EPA defines as greater than 6 months in soils and sediment). (New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, In-Water and Riparian Management of Sediment and Dredged Material, November 2004)

A structure, usually of open construction, extending out into the water from the shore, to serve as a landing place, recreational facility, etc., rather than to afford coastal protection or affect the movement of water. In the Great Lakes, a term sometimes improperly applied to jetties. (US Army Corps of Engineers, Coastal and Hydraulics Laboratory Glossary, 2015)

The end of a pier furthest offshore. The pierhead line indicates the limits a pier can protrude into navigable waters. (New York City Economic Development Corporation, Waterfront Facilities Maintenance Management System, May 2016)

A long, slender timber, steel, or reinforced concrete structural element driven, jetted, or otherwise embedded into the ground to support a vertical load, to resist a lateral force, or to resist water or earth pressure. (New York City Economic Development Corporation, Waterfront Facilities Maintenance Management System, May 2016)

The horizontal structural member atop a row of piles or sheet piles. The cap aligns and secures the piles, and transfers loading from the deck to the piles. (New York City Economic Development Corporation, Waterfront Facilities Maintenance Management System, May 2016)

A grouping of piles designed to support concentrated loads. (New York City Economic Development Corporation, Waterfront Facilities Maintenance Management System, May 2016)

The bottom (penetrating end) of a pile. Also known as the "tip" or "foot". (New York City Economic Development Corporation, Waterfront Facilities Maintenance Management System, May 2016)

The top (driven end) of a pile. (New York City Economic Development Corporation, Waterfront Facilities Maintenance Management System, May 2016)

Group of piles. (US Army Corps of Engineers, Low Cost Shore Protection: A Property Owner's Guide, 2004)

A hollow metal pile with a circular cross-section. The pile can be filled to provide additional strength. (New York City Economic Development Corporation, Waterfront Facilities Maintenance Management System, May 2016)

A localized area of a ferrous metal surface where the extent of metal loss due to corrosion is much greater than that in the surrounding area. (New York City Economic Development Corporation, Waterfront Facilities Maintenance Management System, May 2016)

1. In oceanographic terminology, any man-made structure (aircraft, ship, buoy, or tower) from, or on which, oceanographic instruments are suspended, installed, or operated. 2. Any offshore fixed or floating structure providing a flat or specially designed working surface above the water which serves a specific and/or specialized purpose; e.g., drilling, survey, research, potable water intake, swimming-diving, or storage functions. (US Army Corps of Engineers, Coastal and Hydraulics Laboratory Glossary, 2015)

Core containing both plants and underlying soil, usually cut with a cylindrical coring device and transplanted to a hole cut by the same device. (US Army Corps of Engineers, Low Cost Shore Protection: A Property Owner's Guide, 2004)

One of several aromatic compounds containing two benzene nuclei with two or more substituent chlorine atoms. They are colorless, toxic, viscous liquids. Because of their persistance and ecological damage from water pollution, their manufacture has been discontinued in the US (1976). (New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, In-Water and Riparian Management of Sediment and Dredged Material, November 2004)

Hydrocarbons are an organic compound consisting exclusively of the elements hydrogen and carbon. Polycyclic hydrocarbons are made up of four or more ring structures. Aromatic refers to their strong and not unpleasant odor. PAH' s are derived principally from petroleum and coal tar sources and some have demonstrated carcinogenic properties. (New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, In-Water and Riparian Management of Sediment and Dredged Material, November 2004)

An expanded opening in a crack that allows grout to be introduced into the crack. (New York City Economic Development Corporation, Waterfront Facilities Maintenance Management System, May 2016)

A written document issued by the lead agency when it determines there is the potential for significant adverse impacts in one or more technical areas as a result of the project. A positive declaration leads to the preparation of a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS). See 6 NYCRR 617.2 (ac). (NYC Mayor's Office of Sustainability)

A piece of timber used to replace a portion of a pile that has deteriorated or been damaged. (New York City Economic Development Corporation, Waterfront Facilities Maintenance Management System, May 2016)

Available and capable of being done after taking into consideration cost, existing technology, and logistics, in light of overall project purposes. (Electronic Code of Federal Regulations, Title 23, Part 777, March 2016)

A pre-application meeting/consultation is one or more meetings between members of the District Engineer's staff and an applicant and his agent or his consultant. A pre_application consultation is usually related to applications for major activities and may involve discussion of alternatives, environmental documents, National Environmental Policy Act procedures, and development of the scope of the data required when an environmental impact statement is required. (US Army Corps of Engineers New York District, Regulatory Program Applicant Information Guide, 2014)

Complete a standard individual permit application form (Form ENG 4345) to clearly indicate that it is a Pre-Construction Notification and must include all of the information required in paragraphs (b)(1) through (7) of General Condition 31. Consult the Nationwide General Permits for additional information on general conditions. (US Army Corps of Engineers, 2012 Nationwide Permits, Conditions, and Definitions)

The removal of a threat to, or preventing the decline of, aquatic resources by an action in or near those aquatic resources. This term includes activities commonly associated with the protection and maintenance of aquatic resources through the implementation of appropriate legal and physical mechanisms. Preservation does not result in a gain of aquatic resource area or functions. (US Army Corps of Engineers, 2012 Nationwide Permits, Conditions, and Definitions)

Intersection of the ground surface with a vertical plane that may extend from the top of the dune line to the seaward limit of sand movement. (US Army Corps of Engineers, Low Cost Shore Protection: A Property Owner's Guide, 2004)

The result of an action or set of actions that is approved, funded, or undertaken at the discretion of a federal, state, or city agency. (NYC Mayor's Office of Sustainability)

Any stream or particular portion of a stream for which there has been adopted by the Department or any of its predecessors any of the following classifications or standards: AA, AA(t), A, A(t), B, B(t) or C(t). Streams designated (t)(trout) also include those more specifically designated (ts)(trout spawning). (New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, In-Water and Riparian Management of Sediment and Dredged Material, November 2004)

A public hearing may be held to acquire information and give the public the opportunity to present views and opinions. The Corps may hold a hearing or participate in joint public hearings with other Federal or state agencies. The district engineer may specify in the public notice that a hearing will be held. In addition, any person may request in writing during the comment period that a hearing be held. Specific reasons must be given as to the need for a hearing. The district engineer may attempt to resolve the issue informally or he may set the date for a public hearing. Hearings are held at times and places that are convenient for the interested public. Very few applications involve a public hearing. (US Army Corps of Engineers New York District, Regulatory Program Applicant Information Guide, 2014)

This term refers to the evaluation of a proposed activity to determine probable impacts. Expected benefits are balanced against reasonably foreseeable detriments. All relevant factors are weighed. Corps policy is to provide applicants with a timely and carefully weighed decision that reflects the public interest. The public interest review requires the careful weighing of all public interest factors relevant to each particular permit application. Thus, one specific factor (e.g., fish and wildlife values or economics) cannot by itself force a specific decision, but rather the decision represents the net effect of balancing all public interest factors, many of which are frequently in conflict. The public interest review is used to evaluate applications under all authorities administered by the Corps. (US Army Corps of Engineers New York District, Regulatory Program Applicant Information Guide, 2014)

The primary method of advising interested public agencies and private parties of the proposed activity and soliciting comments and information necessary to evaluate the probable impact on the public interest. Upon request, anyone' s name will be added to the distribution list to receive public notices. (US Army Corps of Engineers New York District, Regulatory Program Applicant Information Guide, 2014)