Glossary

Adapt Virginia (ADAPTVA) - a website gateway to information for individuals, local programs, and agencies engaged in climate adaptation; focusing on the physical and social vulnerabilities by integrating the best available science, legal guidance, and planning strategies; content includes legal and policy resources, stories that explain adaption through maps and pictures, a searchable web catalogue, and mapping tools that address short and long-term predictions for rising water levels

Anchor Piles - anchors, usually vertical piles driven into the ground, on the landward side of the bulkhead, to which the bulkhead is tied by tiebacks or tie-rods (commonly called deadmen)

Armor - the larger stone used as the outer layers of a revetment which is directly exposed to waves

Bathymetry - the study of underwater depth waterbodies; the underwater equivalent to the study of elevations or topography on land

Beaches - defined in state legislation as "The shoreline zone comprised of unconsolidated sandy material upon which there is a mutual interaction of the forces of erosion, sediment transport and deposition that extends from the low water line landward to where there is a marked change in either material composition or physiographic form such as a dune, bluff, or marsh, or where no such change can be identified, to the line of woody vegetation (usually the effective limit of stormwaves), or the nearest impermeable man-made structure, such as a bulkhead, revetment, or paved road"

Best Management Practices (BMPs) - a term used to describe a type of water pollution control; in stormwater management (both urban and rural) and wetland management, BMPs may refer to a principal control or a treatment technique based on best available science or technology

Bottomlands - low-lying lands along a watercourse periodically inundated by floods or storm events, or submerged lands which underlie a watercourse

Breakwater - an offshore structure which is aligned parallel to the shoreline; a fixed breakwater refers to one generally constructed of stone or gabion baskets (wire baskets or mattresses which are filled with stone), placed on the bottom; floating breakwaters should be firmly anchored and may be constructed of tires, logs, specially fabricated boxes and baffles, or other floating materials

Buried Toe - the practice of trenching in the seaward toe of a riprap structure to help prevent scour and shifting of the structure

Center for Coastal Resources Management (CCRM) - located at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science, its formal mission is to support informed decision-making on resource management issues at all levels of government, including private and corporate citizens; to fulfill this mission, the Center undertakes research, provides advisory service in wetlands management, and conducts outreach education

Chesapeake Bay Preservation Act (CBPA) - state legislation enacted in 1988 to improve water quality in the Chesapeake Bay through effective land management and planning

Clean Water Act (CWA) - federal legislation that establishes a framework for the regulation of pollutant discharges into the waters of the United States, as well as the creation of water quality standards for surface waters

Clean Water Revolving Loan Fund (CWRLF) - administered by the Department of Environmental Quality, the fund reduces interest rates for local governments for projects that improve water quality or prevent future problems

Coastal Primary Sand Dune - defined in state legislation as "A mound of unconsolidated sandy soil which is contiguous to mean high water, whose landward and lateral limits are marked by a change in grade from ten percent or greater to less than ten percent, and upon which is growing any of the species... Shall not include any mound of sand, sandy soil, or dredge spoil deposited by any person for the purpose of temporary storage, beach replenishment or beach nourishment, nor shall the slopes of any such mound be used to determine the landward or lateral limits of a coastal primary sand dune"

Coastal Primary Sand Dunes and Beaches Act - state legislation that recognizes the importance of protecting dunes and beaches and establishes a permitting program for certain uses and activities that have the “potential for encroaching on or otherwise damaging coastal primary sand dunes or state-owned beaches”

Coastal Primary Sand Dunes/Beaches Guidelines - last reprinted in 1993, a document adopted by the Virginia Marine Resources Commission that includes a description of coastal primary sand dunes and beaches and their values, consequences of altering, guidelines for reviewing alterations, considerations for construction and mitigation activities, and barrier island policy

Coastal Zone - the interface between the land and water along shorelines; significant areas because a majority of the world's population inhabit, most of the world’s commerce, and the highest levels of biological and ecological diversity occurs in such zones; such areas are continually changing because of the dynamic interaction between the oceans and the land

Coastal Zone Management (CZM) - a process for the management of the coast using an integrated approach, regarding all aspects of the coastal zone, including geographical and political boundaries, in an attempt to achieve sustainability

Coastal Zone Management Act (CZMA) - federal legislation with the goal to “preserve, protect, develop, and where possible, to restore or enhance the resources of the nation’s coastal zone”

Compact - a pact, formal agreement between levels of government or government agencies

Compensation - also known as compensatory mitigation, is actually the third step in a sequence of actions that must be followed to offset impacts to aquatic resources; part of a process developed between the Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to help guide mitigation decisions and determine the type and level of mitigation required under Clean Water Act Section 404 regulations; step 1 is to avoid adverse impacts to aquatic resources and no discharge shall be permitted if there is a practicable alternative with less adverse impact; step 2 is to undertake appropriate and practicable steps to minimize adverse impacts must be taken if impacts cannot be avoided; step 3 requires that appropriate and practicable compensatory mitigation is required for unavoidable adverse impacts which remain, and that the amount and quality of compensatory mitigation may not substitute for avoiding and minimizing impacts

Comprehensive Coastal Resource Management Portals (CCRMPs) - information found at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science website to help implement Virginia's tidal shoreline laws and policies including general guidance for the entire coastal area, locality specific information, shoreline best management practices, comprehensive plan guidance, and tidal shoreline laws and policies

Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) - administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, a program that targets specific State or nationally significant conservation concerns, and federal funds are supplemented with non-federal funds to address those concerns; in exchange for removing environmentally sensitive land from production and establishing permanent resource conserving plant species, farmers and ranchers are paid an annual rental rate along with other federal and non-federal incentives as applicable per each agreement; participation is voluntary, and the contract period is typically 10-15 years

Core - the smaller stone used as the base of the revetment which is not directly exposed to waves

Corps - the United States Army Corps of Engineers

Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) - the Commonwealth’s lead natural resource conservation agency, responsible for the protection and management of natural habitat, parks, clean water, dams, open space and recreational access

Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) - the Commonwealth’s lead agency for administering state and federal laws and regulations for air quality, water quality, water supply and land protection; it additionally manages other programs cover a variety of environmental activities, such as improving the ability of businesses and local governments to protect the environment and prevent pollution, and provides technical and financial assistance for air and water quality improvements, coastal zone management and remediation of contaminated land and water

Ecosystem Services - the many and varied benefits gifted by the natural environment and from healthy ecosystems

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) - is an independent agency of federal government with Cabinet status for environmental protection

Fetch - distance that wind blows over water prior to its reaching a shoreline; generally it is used as an estimate of potential wave energy or stress the shoreline may expect; its effects are usually associated with the level of surface water disturbances associated with waves or swells and their interaction with a shoreline; the main factor that creates storm surge

Filter Cloth - the synthetic water-permeable textile placed between sheeting and backfill which prevents soil loss which leads to coastal erosion and flooding

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) - a list of frequently asked questions and answers on a particular topic; the format is often used where common questions tend to recur in relationship to common knowledge gaps

General Permit (GP) - a specialized permit developed by federal or state agencies to simplify and promote environmental restoration efforts

Geographic Information System (GIS) - a system designed to capture, store, manipulate, analyze, manage, and present spatial or geographic data; its applications are tools that allow users to create interactive queries, analyze spatial information, edit data in maps, and present the results of all these operations

Groin - a structure that is perpendicular to the shoreline and extends into the water; often installed in a series, they function in trapping sand moving in the along-shore currents

Hydric Soils - soil types which are permanently or seasonally saturated by water, resulting in anaerobic conditions, as found in wetlands

Hydrophytic Plants - vegetation which has adapted to growing in low-oxygen (anaerobic) conditions associated with prolonged saturation or flooding; such vegetation has adapted to anaerobic soil conditions by evolving alternative methods of collecting oxygen

Implementation Plans (IPs) - a documented strategy which involves executing the process improvements that have been developed throughout the life of a project; a thorough strategy usually covers at least five elements: work plan, resources and budget, stakeholders, risk assessment, and quality control

In-lieu Fees - money provided to the Commonwealth or to a local government, at the direction of a regulatory agency, to be used for restoration and enhancement of habitat, with the goal to create or restore functional habitat that satisfies compensatory mitigation requirements to offset permanent disturbances on lands as a result of development

Intensely Developed Area (IDA) - as defined in the Virginia Administrative Code, areas which provide “at least one of the following conditions existed at the time the local program was originally adopted: 1. Development has severely altered the natural state of the area such that it has more than 50% impervious surface; 2. Public sewer and water systems, or a constructed stormwater drainage system, or both, have been constructed and served the area by the original local program adoption date. This condition does not include areas planned for public sewer and water or constructed stormwater drainage systems; or 3. Housing density is equal to or greater than four dwelling units per acre”

Intertidal - the area of a seashore which is above water level at low tide and underwater at high tide; also known as the foreshore or seashore, this area includes a variety of different habitat types for various species of plant and animal life

Jetting - a method of sinking structures in substrate where high pressure water “washes” the structure down and the hole refills with sediment as the pressurized water is cut off

Jetty - linear structures placed perpendicular to the shoreline and cross the intertidal zone to deeper water; these structures function to intercept sand moving along the shoreline and protect channels and inlets from shoaling and wave energy

Joint Permit Application (JPA) - a form submitted by an owner of property considering development activity to apply for permits (i.e. standard/ permits or general permits) from the Norfolk District U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for work in the waters of the United States (including wetlands) within Virginia; this form is also used to apply for corresponding permits from the Virginia Marine Resources Commission, the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, and/or Local Wetlands Boards; this form is utilized for permitting purposes involving tidal and/or non-tidal water, tidal and/or non-tidal wetlands, and/or dune/beach resources, including, but not limited to, construction, dredging, filling, or excavation

Linear Feet (LF) - a 12-inch measurement of length, where the width and height of the item to be measured are insignificant

Living Shoreline - are nature-based approaches for protecting shorelines. They not only protect the shoreline from erosion but conserve, create or restore natural shoreline habitats and ecosystem services.

Local Wetlands Board (LWB) - as defined in the Code of Virginia, “a board created pursuant to § 28.2-1303 of the Code of Virginia” … “consisting of five or seven residents of that jurisdiction appointed by the local governing body” to administer the tidal wetlands program in a locality which has adopted a Wetlands Ordinance

Low-profile - a recommended design for either timber or stone groins, in which the elevation of the channelward end of the groin is no greater than that of mean low water; this design allows the sand to bypass the groin more quickly once the groin cell is filled, lessening the interruption of sediment movement to downdrift shorelines

Marsh Toe - a low-profile rock structure placed channelward of a marsh, usually being placed protection directly against an eroding scarp

Mean High Water (MHW) - the line of the lunar high tide averaged over 20 years

Mean Low Water (MLW) - the line of the lunar low tide averaged over 20 years

Mitigation - also known as environmental mitigation, compensatory mitigation, or mitigation banking, a term used primarily by the government to describe projects or programs intended to offset known impacts to an existing natural resource such as a stream, wetland, or endangered species; to "mitigate" means to make less harsh or hostile; typically a part of an environmental crediting system established by governing bodies which involves allocating debits and credits, in which debits occur in situations where a natural resource has been destroyed or severely impaired and credits are given in situations where a natural resource has been deemed to be improved or preserved

National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) - an American government-backed agency dedicated to sustaining, restoring and enhancing the nation's fish, wildlife, plants and habitats for current and future generations; it advances its mission through innovative public and private partnerships, primarily through grants which invest financial resources and intellectual capital into science-based programs designed to address conservation priorities and achieve measurable outcomes

Nationwide permits - a defined group of permits which have been issued by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to address a variety of specific activities involving work in the waters of the United States (including wetlands) within the United States

Natural Shoreline Features - tidal wetlands, beaches and dunes, and riparian buffers

Nature-based Features - human-made “structures” constructed to mimic the benefits of natural shoreline features to defend the shoreline; a living shoreline is an example

No Net Loss Policy - a state enacted policy of no net loss of wetland acreage and function, specifying that the Virginia Water Protection Program shall contain compensation requirements sufficient to achieve no net loss of existing wetland acreage and no net loss of functions in all surface waters

Nontidal - inland, freshwater areas of water or shorelines not subject to tidal influence; typically areas where the water table is at or near the surface, or the land is covered by shallow water which encompass a variety of environments such as marshes and swamps, bottomland hardwood forests, wet meadows, inland bogs and the shallow areas of lakes and ponds

Nontidal Wetland - defined in state legislation as "those wetlands (other than tidal wetlands) that are inundated or saturated by surface water or groundwater at a frequency and duration sufficient to support, and that under normal circumstances do support, a prevalence of vegetation typically adapted for life in saturated soil conditions”

Non-vegetated - defined in state legislation as "unvegetated lands lying contiguous to mean low water and between mean low water and mean high water, including those unvegetated areas of Back Bay and its tributaries and the North Landing River and its tributaries subject to flooding by normal and wind tides but not hurricane or tropical storm tides"

Regional Permit (RP) - a defined group of permits which have been issued either by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Norfolk District or the Virginia Marine Resources Commission to address a variety of specific activities involving work in the waters of the United States (including wetlands) within the Commonwealth, or for projects involving tidal wetlands or subaqueous beds as defined in the Code of Virginia

Resource Management Area (RMA) - as defined in the Virginia Administrative Code, “shall include land types that, if improperly used or developed, have a potential for causing significant water quality degradation or for diminishing the functional value of the Resource Protection Area”, and “shall be provided contiguous to the entire inland boundary of the Resource Protection Area;” land categories to “be considered for inclusion in the Resource Management Area and, where mapping resources indicate the presence of these land types contiguous to the Resource Protection Area, should be included in designations of Resource Management Areas: 1. Floodplains; 2. Highly erodible soils, including steep slopes; 3. Highly permeable soils; 4. Nontidal wetlands not included in the Resource Protection Area; and 5. Such other lands considered by the local government … to be necessary to protect the quality of state waters”

Resource Protection Area (RPA) - as defined in the Virginia Administrative Code, “shall consist of lands adjacent to water bodies with perennial flow that have an intrinsic water quality value due to the ecological and biological processes they perform or are sensitive to impacts which may cause significant degradation to the quality of state waters”; such “lands provide for the removal, reduction or assimilation of sediments, nutrients and potentially harmful or toxic substances in runoff entering the bay and its tributaries, and minimize the adverse effects of human activities on state waters and aquatic resources;” and “shall include: 1. Tidal wetlands; 2. Nontidal wetlands connected by surface flow and contiguous to tidal wetlands or water bodies with perennial flow; 3. Tidal shores;” … “4. Such other lands considered by the local government … and to be necessary to protect the quality of state waters;” and “5. A buffer area not less than 100 feet in width located adjacent to and landward of the components listed” above, “and along both sides of any water body with perennial flow”

Return Walls - these are walls located at each end of the bulkhead and shoreline, approximately perpendicular to the bulkhead and shoreline, which tie the bulkhead into the upland and prevent the bulkhead from being flanked

Revetment - a sloped structure consisting of multiple layers of stone or other material placed along a bank

Riparian - a zone or area which is the interface between land and a waterbody

Riparian Buffer - areas of trees, shrubs, and other vegetation found next to tidal and non-tidal streams and other waterways in which chemical and biological processes of the vegetation remove nitrogen and phosphorous and trap sediment

Riprap - the stone used to build a revetment; frequently, the structure itself is called riprap

Sand Dunes - defined in state legislation as “a mound of unconsolidated sandy soil which is contiguous to mean high water, whose landward and lateral limits are marked by a change in grade from ten percent or greater to less than ten percent, and upon which is growing any of the following species..." listed in the Virginia Code; such areas “shall not include any mound of sand, sandy soil, or dredge spoil deposited by any person for the purpose of temporary storage, beach replenishment or beach nourishment, nor shall the slopes of any such mound be used to determine the landward or lateral limits of a coastal primary sand dune”

Screw Anchors – an anchoring method used in bulkhead construction that consists of rods that screw into the upland

Shoreline Erosion Advisory Service (SEAS) - a technical assistance program provided free of charge in the Commonwealth to assist private landowners and localities in Virginia with erosion problems; services are available in both tidal and non-tidal areas, and include technical assistance, site investigations, written reports, plan reviews, construction inspections, and information

Shoreline Management - a process of making choices to address the desire to protect upland property from erosion, balanced with the benefits and uses of natural and nature-based shoreline features

Shoreline Management Model (SMM) - a GIS model developed by the Virginia Institute of Marine Science that predicts the best management practices for a shoreline, and where living shorelines are suitable, using available map data and decision tree logic; shoreline conditions factored into the model include: presence or absence of natural buffers (tidal marshes, beaches, riparian forests, submerged aquatic vegetation), bank height, nearshore bathymetry, wave exposure (fetch), and existing defense structures and proximity of upland development

Shoreline Processes - the interaction of water, wind, waves, biological activities, and the shore that shape diverse beach, bluff, cliff, bank, riverine, and estuarine areas; such processes interact to form shorelines exhibiting variable measures of stability and thereby benefit shoreline ecosystems along with the many organisms that live within them

Sill - a continuous low-profile breakwater structure

Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) - political subdivisions of the Commonwealth established to develop comprehensive programs and plans to conserve soil resources, control and prevent soil erosion, prevent floods and conserve, develop, utilize and dispose water; such districts serve as local resources for citizens in nearly all Virginia localities, and manage conservation programs, employ staff and deliver conservation services free of charge; districts also help deliver many programs aimed at controlling and preventing nonpoint source pollution

Spur - a structure attached to the downdrift side of a groin and oriented perpendicular to a groin, and parallel to the shoreline; the structure may be aligned anywhere between mean low water and the channelward end of the groin; its purpose is to prevent characteristic erosion of sand immediately downdrift of the groin

Standard Permit - an individual permit issued by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Norfolk District, the Virginia Marine Resources Commission, or a local wetlands board to address a variety of activities involving work in the waters of the United States (including wetlands) within the Commonwealth, or for projects involving tidal wetlands or subaqueous beds as defined in the Code of Virginia when projects have more than minimal individual or cumulative impacts; such permits are evaluated using additional environmental criteria, and involve a more comprehensive public interest review.

State-owned - areas of land owned in fee simple by the Commonwealth

State-owned Bottomlands - also called state-owned marine lands, state-owned subaqueous bottoms, state-owned subaqueous beds, or state-owned subaqueous lands, are areas of land owned in fee simple by the Commonwealth that lie beneath bodies of water; in tidal areas such areas of land are located seaward of mean low water; in non-tidal areas such areas of land are located waterward of ordinary high water

Subaqueous - areas and resources upon these areas that are typically underwater most of the time

Submerged - under water

Submerged Aquatic Vegetation (SAV) - a term used to describe rooted, vascular plants that grow completely underwater except for periods of brief exposure at low tides

Submerged Lands - land which are typically underwater

Submerged Lands Act - state legislation which specifies it is unlawful for a person to build on, dump into or encroach upon the beds of the bays and ocean, rivers, streams, creeks that are the property of the Commonwealth unless first obtaining a permit from the Virginia Marine Resources Commission

Tidal - periodically rising and falling or flowing and ebbing waters caused as a result of either lunar gravitational forces or prevailing wind patters

Tiebacks - rods used to connect the bulkhead to the land anchor pile or deadmen (usually the horizontal piles connected to the anchor pile)

Tombolo - the name for the area of build-up of sand landward of gapped breakwaters

Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) - a regulatory term in the federal Clean Water Act, describing a plan for restoring impaired waters that identifies the maximum amount of a pollutant that a body of water can receive while still meeting water quality standards

United Stated Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) - a federal agency under the Department of Defense that primarily oversees dams, canals and flood protection in the United States, as well as a wide range of public works throughout the world; the agency which administers federal regulatory programs involving work in the waters of the United States (including wetlands)

United States Geological Survey (USGS) - a scientific agency of the federal government which studies the landscape of the United States, its natural resources, the natural hazards that threaten it, and provide information to the general public.

Updrift and Downdrift - refer to longshore drift, or the movement of sediment along the shore; sediment may move in both directions along a particular shoreline; the net direction of movement determines the net accumulation of sediment by a groin; groins necessarily deprive downdrift shorelines of their sand supply, worsening any existing erosion problems

Virginia (VA) - the Commonwealth of Virginia

Virginia Administrative Code (VAC) - the compilation of permanent regulations that have the force of law in the Commonwealth; the Virginia Register of Regulations is published by the Virginia Code Commission and is the official publication of state government regulations, petitions for rulemaking, emergency regulations, Governor's executive orders, state lottery regulations and director's orders, and State Corporation Commission orders and regulations

Virginia Coastal Policy Center (VCPC) - located at the College of William & Mary Law School, it provides science-based legal and policy analysis of ecological issues affecting the state's coastal resources, providing education and advice to a host of Virginia’s decision-makers, from government officials and legal scholars to non-profit and business leaders; with two partners - the College of William & Mary's Virginia Institute of Marine Science, and Virginia Sea Grant - it works with scientists, local and state political figures, community leaders, the military, and others to integrate the latest science with legal and policy analysis to solve coastal resource management issues

Virginia Coastal Zone - defined in state legislation as including all of “Tidewater Virginia” and means the following counties: Accomack, Arlington, Caroline, Charles City, Chesterfield, Essex, Fairfax, Gloucester, Hanover, Henrico, Isle of Wight, James City, King and Queen, King George, King William, Lancaster, Mathews, Middlesex, New Kent, Northampton, Northumberland, Prince George, Prince William, Richmond, Spotsylvania, Stafford, Surry, Westmoreland, and York; and the Cities of Alexandria, Chesapeake, Colonial Heights, Fairfax, Falls Church, Fredericksburg, Hampton, Hopewell, Newport News, Norfolk, Petersburg, Poquoson, Portsmouth, Richmond, Suffolk, Virginia Beach, and Williamsburg

Virginia Coastal Zone Management Program - a network of state agencies and local governments which administers enforceable laws, regulations, and policies that protect the Commonwealth’s coastal resources and fosters sustainable development; the lead agency is the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality

Virginia Conservation Assistance Program (VCAP) - an urban cost-share program that provides financial incentives and technical and educational assistance to property owners installing eligible best management practices in Virginia’s participating Soil and Water Conservation Districts

Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) - a research institution associated with the College of William & Mary’s College of Marine Science whose mission is to conduct research in coastal ocean and estuarine science, educate students and citizens, and provide advisory service to policy makers, industry, and the public

Virginia Marine Resources Commission (VMRC) - the lead agency for administering the stewardship and protection programs for the Commonwealth's marine and tidal aquatic resources; including managing saltwater recreational and commercial fishing, and managing water bottoms in public trust for the citizens of the Commonwealth

Virginia Water Protection (VWP) - the Virginia Water Protection Compliance Program comprised of 3 overlapping program areas that function to fulfill Virginia Water Protection regulations: permitting, compliance and enforcement; regulatory compliance is a system to make sure permittees and other members of the public are aware of and take steps to follow the State Water Control Law (§ 62.1-44.15:21 and § 62.1-44.15:20), the Virginia Water Protection Permit Program Regulation (9 VAC 25-210), and the associated general permit regulations; compliance strives to protect wetlands, streams, and other state waters from being filled, excavated, drained, or dredged without a Virginia Water Protection permit

Vegetated Wetlands - defined in state legislation as "lands lying between and contiguous to mean low water and an elevation above mean low water equal to the factor one and one-half times the mean tide range at the site of the proposed project in the county, city, or town in question, and upon which is growing any of the species..." listed in the Virginia Code

Vegetated Wetlands of Back Bay and its Tributaries or Vegetated Wetlands of the North Landing River and its Tributaries - defined in state legislation as "all marshes subject to flooding by normal and wind tides, but not hurricane or tropical storm tides, and upon which is growing any of the species..." listed in the Virginia Code

Vegetative Control - the use of wetlands vegetation to deter erosion, either alone or in concert with an offshore breakwater or sill; vegetation may be planted or allowed to colonize naturally

Water Quality Impact Assessment (WQIA) - as defined in the Code of Virginia, an evaluation undertaken “to (i) identify the potentially adverse impacts of proposed development on water quality and lands within the Chesapeake Bay Preservation Areas; (ii) ensure that, where use, development or redevelopment takes place within the Chesapeake Bay Preservation Areas it will be located on those portions of a site and in a manner that will be least disruptive to the natural functions of the Resource Protection Areas and other sensitive lands; and (iii) specify means to avoid, minimize or mitigate the impacts of development for water quality protection

Wetlands - means those areas that are inundated or saturated by surface water or groundwater at a frequency and duration sufficient to support, and that under normal circumstances do support, a prevalence of vegetation typically adapted for life in saturated soil conditions; generally include swamps, marshes, bogs, and similar areas

Wetlands Act - state legislation initially adopted in 1972 that recognizes the environmental value of tidal wetlands, establishes a permitting system for their protection, and authorizes localities to establish a local wetlands board and adopt a wetlands ordinance

Wetlands Guidelines - last reprinted in 1993, an advisory document adopted by the Virginia Marine Resources Commission that provides guidance for wetland permit decision-making; including a brief description of each wetlands community type with an environmental value rank and criteria for evaluation of wetland disturbing activities.

Whaler - a structural member of a wood bulkhead or groin which runs horizontally between pilings and braces the sheeting

Wind Tidal - waterbodies that are regularly subject to normal lunar tides as well as by variations governed primarily by prevailing wind patterns; such areas are located in the southeastern corner of the Commonwealth in the cities of Virginia Beach and Chesapeake