Riverside Municipal Code § 17.08.010 Definitions.
17.08.010 - Definitions.
For the purposes of this title, the following definitions shall be applied:
DEFINITIONS
Riverside Municipal Code tit. 17, ch. 17.08
in effectRiverside Municipal Code § 17.08.011 Arroyo.
17.08.011 - Arroyo.
"Arroyo" shall mean those areas shown within the limits of the Mockingbird Canyon, Woodcrest, Prenda, Alessandro, Tequesquite, or Springbrook Arroyos and associated tributaries a shown on Exhibits A-F of this title. The limits of these arroyos and arroyo tributaries shall include all the land within the water course area, the adjacent slopes having an average natural slope of 30 percent or greater, and all other areas within the boundaries shown on Exhibits A-F of this title. [See exhibits on following page.]
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(Ord. 6673 § 1, 2003)
Riverside Municipal Code § 17.08.015 Approval.
17.08.015 - Approval.
"Approval" shall mean the proposed work or completed work conforms to this section in the opinion of the Public Works Director.
(Ord. 6453 § 1, 1998)
Riverside Municipal Code § 17.08.020 As-graded.
17.08.020 - As-graded.
"As-graded" is the extent of surface conditions upon completion of grading.
(Ord. 6453 § 1,1998)
Riverside Municipal Code § 17.08.025 Bedrock.
17.08.025 - Bedrock.
"Bedrock" is in-place solid rock.
(Ord. 6453 § 1, 1998)
Riverside Municipal Code § 17.08.030 Bench.
17.08.030 - Bench.
"Bench" is a relatively level step excavated into earth material on which fill is to placed.
(Ord. 6453 § 1, 1998)
Riverside Municipal Code § 17.08.035 Borrow.
17.08.035 - Borrow.
"Borrow" is earth material acquired from an offsite location for use in grading on a site.
(Ord. 6453 § 1, 1998)
Riverside Municipal Code § 17.08.040 Building Pad.
17.08.040 - Building Pad.
"Building Pad" is the level padded yard area created through grading for a building site and other ancillary uses. Areas with slopes of five to one or flatter are considered level padded yard areas. Driveways providing access to the building pad are not included as part of the total permitted level pad area.
(Ord. 6453 § 1, 1998)
Riverside Municipal Code § 17.08.045 Civil Engineer.
17.08.045 - Civil Engineer.
"Civil Engineer" is a professional engineer registered in the State of California to practice civil engineering.
(Ord. 6453 § 1, 1998)
Riverside Municipal Code § 17.08.050 Civil Engineering.
17.08.050 - Civil Engineering.
"Civil Engineering" is the application of knowledge of the forces of nature, principles of mechanics, and the properties of materials to the evaluation, design and construction of civil works.
(Ord. 6453 § 1, 1998)
Riverside Municipal Code § 17.08.055 Contour grading.
17.08.055 - Contour grading.
"Contour grading" is the transitional use of variable slopes and the blending of these slopes into contours compatible with the natural terrain including the rounding of the top of cut and fill slopes with a constant tangent of ten feet as shown in Figure No. 2.
(Ord. 7362 § 9, 2017; Ord. 6453 § 1, 1998)
Riverside Municipal Code § 17.08.060 Compaction.
17.08.060 - Compaction.
"Compaction" is the densification of a fill.
(Ord. 6453 § 1, 1998)
Riverside Municipal Code § 17.08.065 Crib wall.
17.08.065 - Crib wall.
"Crib wall" is an alternate method of constructing a retaining wall using concrete, steel or timber.
(Ord. 6453 § 1, 1998)
Riverside Municipal Code § 17.08.070 Earth material.
17.08.070 - Earth material.
"Earth material" is any rock, natural soil or fill and/or combination thereof.
(Ord. 6453 § 1, 1998)
Riverside Municipal Code § 17.08.075 Engineering grading.
17.08.075 - Engineering grading.
"Engineering grading" includes any of the following:
A. Grading involving a fill intended to support structures
B. Grading for the development of more than one lot or parcel of land.
C. Grading involving in excess of 5,000 cubic yards of material.
D. Grading where the site has an average natural slope of ten percent or greater, the site is within the boundaries of the RC-Residential conservation Zone, or within or adjacent to the Mockingbird Canyon, Woodcrest, Prenda, Alessandro, Tequesquite, and Springbrook Arroyos, a blue line stream identified on the United States Geological Survey Maps (USGS) or other significant arroyo.
E. Grading where the public Works Director determines special geographical conditions or unusual hazards exist on the property to be graded or on adjacent or contiguous property.
(Ord. 7362 § 1, 2017; Ord. 6453 § 1, 1998)
Riverside Municipal Code § 17.08.080 Engineering Geologist.
17.08.080 - Engineering Geologist.
"Engineering Geologist" is a geologist certified in the State of California to practice engineering geology.
(Ord. 6453 § 1, 1998)
Riverside Municipal Code § 17.08.085 Engineering Geology.
17.08.085 - Engineering Geology.
"Engineering Geology" is the application of geologic knowledge and principles in the investigation and evaluation of naturally occurring rock and soil for use in the design of civil works.
(Ord. 6453 § 1, 1998)
Riverside Municipal Code § 17.08.090 Erosion.
17.08.090 - Erosion.
"Erosion" is the wearing away of the ground surface by the movement of wind, water and/or ice.
(Ord. 6453 § 1, 1998)
Riverside Municipal Code § 17.08.095 Excavation.
17.08.095 - Excavation.
"Excavation" is the mechanical removal of earth material.
(Ord. 6453 § 1, 1998)
Riverside Municipal Code § 17.08.100 Fill.
17.08.100 - Fill.
"Fill" is a deposit of earth material placed by artificial means.
(Ord. 6453 § 1, 1998)
Riverside Municipal Code § 17.08.105 Grade.
17.08.105 - Grade.
"Grade" is the vertical location of the ground surface.
A. "Existing Grade" is the grade prior to grading.
B. "Rough Grade" is the stage at which the grade approximately conforms to the approved grade.
C. "Finish Grade" is the final grade of the site which conforms to the approved plan.
(Ord. 6453 § 1, 1998)
Riverside Municipal Code § 17.08.110 Graded area.
17.08.110 - Graded area.
"Graded area" is that portion of a site on which grading is proposed. The graded area includes the building pad and any slopes created by excavation or fill. Driveway grading which is required to provide access to the level building pad area is not included as part of the total permitted level pad area.
(Ord. 6673 § 2, 2003; Ord. 6453 § 1, 1998)
Riverside Municipal Code § 17.08.115 Grading.
17.08.115 - Grading.
"Grading" is any excavating, filling, or combination thereof.
(Ord. 6453 § 1, 1998)
Riverside Municipal Code § 17.08.120 Hillside/arroyo.
17.08.120 - Hillside/arroyo.
"Hillside/arroyo" is a situation wherein one or more of the following conditions exist:
A. The site lies within the RC-Residential Conservation Zone;
B. The area to be graded has a straight-line slope of ten percent or greater;
C. The site lies within or adjacent the boundaries of the Mockingbird Canyon, Woodcrest, Prenda, Alessandro, Tequesquite, and Springbrook Arroyos, a blue line stream identified on the United States Geological Survey (USGS) Maps or other significant arroyos.
(Ord. 6453 § 1, 1998)
Riverside Municipal Code § 17.08.125 Key.
17.08.125 - Key.
"Key" is a designed compacted fill placed in a trench excavated in earth material beneath the toe of a proposed fill slope.
(Ord. 6453 § 1, 1998)
Riverside Municipal Code § 17.08.130 Regular grading.
17.08.130 - Regular grading.
"Regular grading" is any grading other than defined as "Engineered Grading".
(Ord. 6453 § 1, 1998)
Riverside Municipal Code § 17.08.135 Site.
17.08.135 - Site.
"Site" is any lot or parcel of land or contiguous combination thereof, under the same ownership, where grading is performed or permitted.
(Ord. 6453 § 1, 1998)
Riverside Municipal Code § 17.08.140 Slope.
17.08.140 - Slope.
"Slope" is an inclined ground surface the inclination of which is commonly expressed as a ratio of horizontal distance to vertical distance (eg: two to one, one-point five to one, etc.)
(Ord. 6453 § 1, 1998)
Riverside Municipal Code § 17.08.145 Straight-line slope.
17.08.145 - Straight-line slope.
"Straight-line slope" is the vertical rise or fall of the existing grade measured between two points which is expressed as a percentage (eg: ten percent slope, 15 percent slope, etc.)
(Ord. 6453 § 1, 1998)
Riverside Municipal Code § 17.08.150 Average natural slope.
17.08.150 - Average natural slope.
"Average natural slope" is the slope determined pursuant to the City of Riverside's adopted Average Natural Slope Formula specified in Section 19.100.050 of this Code, as follows: 'Average Natural Slope' means the average natural inclination of the ground surface of a lot or parcel expressed as a percent and as measured by the following formula:
S = (0.002296 × I × L)
A
Where: S = average natural slope in percent
I = natural contour interval in feet
L = length of natural contours in feet
A = acres of property (parcel of record existing on November 13, 1979)
0.002296 = constant which converts square feet into acres and expresses slope in percent.
The average natural slope shall be computed from photogrammetric maps, grading permit plans and other data or evidence approved by the Public Works Department.
(Ord. 7459 § 35, 2019; Ord. 6453 § 1, 1998; Ord. 5585 § 1, 1987)
Riverside Municipal Code § 17.08.155 Soil.
17.08.155 - Soil.
"Soil" is naturally occurring superficial deposits overlying bedrock.
(Ord. 6453 § 1, 1998)
Riverside Municipal Code § 17.08.160 Soils Engineer (Geotechnical Engineer).
17.08.160 - Soils Engineer (Geotechnical Engineer).
"Soils Engineer (Geotechnical Engineer)" is an engineer, registered in the State of California, and experienced and knowledgeable in the practice of soils engineering (geotechnical engineering.)
(Ord. 6453 § 1, 1998)
Riverside Municipal Code § 17.08.165 Soils Engineering (Geotechnical Engineering).
17.08.165 - Soils Engineering (Geotechnical Engineering).
"Soils Engineering (Geotechnical Engineering)" is the application of the principles of soil mechanics in the investigation, evaluation and design of civil works involving the use of earth materials and the inspection and/or testing of the construction thereof.
(Ord. 6453 § 1, 1998)
Riverside Municipal Code § 17.08.170 Terrace.
17.08.170 - Terrace.
"Terrace" is a relatively level step constructed in the face of a graded slope surface for drainage and maintenance purposes.
(Ord. 6453 § 1, 1998)
Source: City of Riverside, California, Municipal Code and City Charter (Municode Library, library.municode.com)URL: https://library.municode.com/ca/riverside/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=PTIICOOR_TIT17GR_CH17.08DEFetched: 11/1/2026