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swale in that a swale is a concave vegetated conveyance system, whereas a filter strip has <br />a fairly level surface. <br />Watershed: A topographically defined area within which all runoff water drains to a <br />point. <br />Water Quality Volume: A design volume of water as defined by the MPCA that is <br />required to be treated from a new development site. The MPCA defines the water quality <br />volume as 0.5-inches of runoff from all new impervious surfaces associated with the <br />development in the watershed. <br />Watershed -to -Lake Ratio: The relative surface area of the contributing watershed to <br />the surface area of the lake or water body. In terms of water quality, generally the smaller <br />the watershed -to -lake ratio, the better the quality of the lake. For example a lake with a <br />ratio of 4 to 1 means that the watershed is four times the size of the lake (i.e., 200 acres <br />contributing to a 50 acre lake). <br />Wetland: Transitional land between terrestrial and aquatic systems where the water table <br />is at or near the surface or the land is covered by shallow water. The jurisdictionally <br />accepted definition of a wetland includes the following three characteristics: <br />1. Have a predominance of hydric soil <br />2. Be inundated or saturated within 1-foot of the surface for at least 5 percent of the <br />growing season. The inundation refers to a single continuous episode. <br />3. Support a prevalence of hydrophytic vegetation typically adapted for life in <br />saturated soils. <br />Wetland Conservation Act (WCA): In 1991 Minnesota adopted the initial Wetland <br />Conservation Act (Minnesota Laws Chapter 354) to protect the states wetland resources. <br />This act has been amended and updated periodically, typically under Minnesota Rule <br />8420, and is used by reference to the current program, as well as any future amendments. <br />Wetland Delineation: The process and procedure by which an area is determined a <br />wetland or non -wetland including a determination of the wetland boundary based on the <br />point where the non -wetland areas shift to wetlands or aquatic habitats. <br />Wetland Mitigation: Wetlands created to replace wetland areas destroyed or impacted <br />by land disturbances. <br />Wet Pond: A conventional wet pond has a permanent pool of water for treating <br />incoming storm water runoff and a live storage component for flood storage and <br />additional water quality treatment detention. <br />Section XI <br />October 21, 2015 Page 84 <br />