For the purposes of this chapter, the following definitions are used:

(1) "Applicant." An eligible municipal corporation seeking matching funds for flood control maintenance work.

(2) "Appropriate local authority." A county, city, or town that has planning and land use jurisdiction within a given area that is covered by the comprehensive flood control management plan.

(3) "Certification." Certification is the written confirmation between ecology and the appropriate local authority and the county engineer who verifies the understanding as to what the comprehensive flood control management plan will contain, the timing and anticipated product, and a reporting schedule that will allow for ecology review and input during the plan development.

(4) "Comprehensive flood control management plan (CFCMP)." A document that determines the need for flood control work, considers alternatives to in-stream flood control work, identifies and considers potential impacts of in-stream flood control work on the state's in-stream resources, and identifies the river's meander belt or floodway, as described in WAC 173-145-040.

(5) "County engineer." The appointed public works director, county engineer, or the person designated to act for the county engineer.

(6) "Eligible municipal corporation." Counties, cities, towns, conservation districts, flood control zone districts, or any special districts subject to flood conditions.

(7) "Emergency fund." That portion of the biennial appropriation allocated to the flood control assistance account which is set aside for emergency projects.

(8) "Emergency project." Flood control work necessary for reasons declared by the appropriate local authority and as authorized and approved by ecology that must be done immediately to protect lives or property.

(9) "Flood compatible land uses." Those uses of the land within the river's meander belt or floodway which comply with the minimum state, federal, and local flood plain management rule requirements.

(10) "Flood plain management activities." Activities described in WAC 173-145-050 performed by local governments through ordinances or other means to reduce the damaging effects of flooding.

(11) "Floodway." The channel of a river or other watercourse and the adjacent land areas that must be reserved in order to discharge the base (one hundred year frequency) flood without cumulatively increasing the water surface elevation more than a designated height.

(12) "Maintenance project." The work necessary to preserve or restore the natural condition or to restore man-made flood control facilities to their former condition using in-kind replacement materials or acceptable alternatives. This work is necessary due to anticipated or actual damage or destruction from flooding by action of erosion, stream flow, sheet runoff, or other damages by the sea or other bodies of water.

(13) "Meander belt." That portion of the flood plain, that can be identified by the evidence of present and previous meanders. This includes the present stream channel. Where there is no identified floodway, that area which is floodprone and has similar topographic characteristics to present and historic stream channels is considered as a meander belt.

(14) "Public benefit." Benefit to the health, safety, or general welfare of the citizens of the state or community at large that results from a flood control project or plan, or some benefit by which their rights or liabilities are affected such as an effect on public property or facilities owned or maintained by an eligible municipal corporation.

(15) "Special district." A district as defined in chapter 85.38 RCW that is either a:

(a) Diking district;

(b) Drainage district;

(c) Diking, drainage, and/or sewerage improvement district;

(d) Intercounty diking and drainage district;

(e) Consolidated diking district, drainage district, diking improvement district, and/or drainage improvement district; or

(f) Flood control district.