{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-json\/10.1-650.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-text\/10.1-650.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-xml\/10.1-650.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-html\/10.1-650.html"}],"law_id":346175,"edition_id":2,"section_id":346175,"structure_id":49703,"section_number":"10.1-650","catch_line":"Definitions","history":"1981, c. 450, \u00a7 21-11.23; 1988, c. 891.","full_text":"As used in this article, unless the context clearly requires a different meaning:\n\n“Continual accelerated erosion” means a rapid increase in the erosion rate of stream banks caused by loss of vegetation, diversion of water by constrictions, undermining, and other resultant effects of severe floods.\n\n“Natural streams” means nontidal waterways which are part of the natural topography. They usually maintain a continuous or seasonal flow during the year and are characterized as being irregular in cross-section with a meandering course. Constructed channels such as drainage ditches or swales shall not be considered natural streams.\n\n“Program” means the Stream Restoration Assistance Program.\n\n“Stream restoration” means any combination of structural and vegetative measures which may be taken to restore, stabilize, and protect a natural stream which has been damaged by severe flooding and is consequently subject to continual accelerated erosion or other detrimental effects. The term shall also include measures to return stream flow to its original channel in cases where the stream course has been changed as a result of flooding.\n\n","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":1290479,"text":"As used in this article, unless the context clearly requires a different meaning:","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1,"next_prefix":""},"1":{"id":1290480,"text":"“Continual accelerated erosion” means a rapid increase in the erosion rate of stream banks caused by loss of vegetation, diversion of water by constrictions, undermining, and other resultant effects of severe floods.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1,"prior_prefix":"","next_prefix":""},"2":{"id":1290481,"text":"“Natural streams” means nontidal waterways which are part of the natural topography. They usually maintain a continuous or seasonal flow during the year and are characterized as being irregular in cross-section with a meandering course. Constructed channels such as drainage ditches or swales shall not be considered natural streams.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1,"prior_prefix":"","next_prefix":""},"3":{"id":1290482,"text":"“Program” means the Stream Restoration Assistance Program.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1,"prior_prefix":"","next_prefix":""},"4":{"id":1290483,"text":"“Stream restoration” means any combination of structural and vegetative measures which may be taken to restore, stabilize, and protect a natural stream which has been damaged by severe flooding and is consequently subject to continual accelerated erosion or other detrimental effects. The term shall also include measures to return stream flow to its original channel in cases where the stream course has been changed as a result of flooding.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1,"prior_prefix":""}},"ancestry":[{"id":49703,"edition_id":2,"name":"Stream Restoration Assistance Program","identifier":"5","label":"article","depth":4,"order_by":8,"parent_id":49693,"metadata":{"child_laws":8,"child_structures":0},"date_created":"2026-08-02 02:13:48","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:28:50","permalink":{"id":1371721,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":49703,"identifier":"5","token":"10.1\/I\/6\/5","url":"\/10.1\/I\/6\/5\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":49693,"edition_id":2,"name":"Flood Protection and Dam Safety","identifier":"6","label":"chapter","depth":3,"order_by":8,"parent_id":49585,"metadata":{"child_laws":118,"child_structures":11},"date_created":"2026-08-02 02:13:36","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:28:48","permalink":{"id":1371273,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":49693,"identifier":"6","token":"10.1\/I\/6","url":"\/10.1\/I\/6\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":49585,"edition_id":2,"name":"Activities Administered by the Department of Conservation and Recreation","identifier":"I","label":"subtitle","depth":2,"order_by":1,"parent_id":49584,"metadata":{"child_laws":357,"child_structures":44},"date_created":"2026-08-02 02:11:52","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:28:44","permalink":{"id":1370317,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":49585,"identifier":"I","token":"10.1\/I","url":"\/10.1\/I\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":49584,"edition_id":2,"name":"Conservation","identifier":"10.1","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":38,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{"child_laws":886,"child_structures":125},"date_created":"2026-08-02 02:11:52","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:28:44","permalink":{"id":1370315,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":49584,"identifier":"10.1","token":"10.1","url":"\/10.1\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":346175,"structure_id":49703,"section_number":"10.1-650","catch_line":"Definitions","url":"\/10.1-650\/","token":"10.1\/I\/6\/5\/10.1-650","metadata":false},{"id":346176,"structure_id":49703,"section_number":"10.1-651","catch_line":"Establishment and administration of Program","url":"\/10.1-651\/","token":"10.1\/I\/6\/5\/10.1-651","metadata":false},{"id":346177,"structure_id":49703,"section_number":"10.1-652","catch_line":"Program applicability","url":"\/10.1-652\/","token":"10.1\/I\/6\/5\/10.1-652","metadata":false},{"id":346178,"structure_id":49703,"section_number":"10.1-653","catch_line":"Application for assistance","url":"\/10.1-653\/","token":"10.1\/I\/6\/5\/10.1-653","metadata":false},{"id":346179,"structure_id":49703,"section_number":"10.1-654","catch_line":"Damage inspections and reports","url":"\/10.1-654\/","token":"10.1\/I\/6\/5\/10.1-654","metadata":false},{"id":346180,"structure_id":49703,"section_number":"10.1-655","catch_line":"Types of assistance","url":"\/10.1-655\/","token":"10.1\/I\/6\/5\/10.1-655","metadata":false},{"id":346181,"structure_id":49703,"section_number":"10.1-656","catch_line":"Board action on assistance requests","url":"\/10.1-656\/","token":"10.1\/I\/6\/5\/10.1-656","metadata":false},{"id":346182,"structure_id":49703,"section_number":"10.1-657","catch_line":"Account established","url":"\/10.1-657\/","token":"10.1\/I\/6\/5\/10.1-657","metadata":false}],"next_section":{"id":346176,"structure_id":49703,"section_number":"10.1-651","catch_line":"Establishment and administration of Program","url":"\/10.1-651\/","token":"10.1\/I\/6\/5\/10.1-651","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/10.1-650\/","history_text":"

This law was first created in 1981. The record of its establishment is cataloged in chapter 450 of that year\u2019s edition of \u201cActs of Assembly,\u201d the annual state publication listing all changes made to the Code of Virginia in that year. Unfortunately, the 1981 \u201cActs\u201d aren\u2019t available online. It has been modified 1 time. Those modifications are cataloged by \u201cThe Acts of Assembly,\u201d a state publication, by year and chapter. Those modifications that can be read on the General Assembly\u2019s website will be linked accordingly. That modification is as follows: in 1988, chapter 891.<\/p>","references":false,"refers_to":false,"permalink":{"id":1371723,"object_type":"law","relational_id":346175,"identifier":"10.1-650","token":"10.1\/I\/6\/5\/10.1-650","url":"\/10.1-650\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/10.1-650\/","token":"10.1\/I\/6\/5\/10.1-650","dublin_core":{"Title":"Definitions","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 10.1-650","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

As used in this article, unless the context clearly requires a different meaning:<\/p>

“Continual accelerated erosion<\/span>” means a rapid increase in the erosion rate of stream banks caused by loss of vegetation, diversion<\/span> of water by constrictions, undermining, and other resultant effects of severe floods.<\/p>

“Natural streams<\/span>” means nontidal waterways which are part of the natural topography. They usually maintain a continuous or seasonal flow during the year and are characterized as being irregular in cross-section with a meandering course. Constructed channels such as drainage ditches or swales shall not be considered natural streams<\/span>.<\/p>

“Program<\/span>” means the Stream Restoration<\/span> Assistance Program<\/span>.<\/p>

“Stream restoration<\/span>” means any combination of structural and vegetative measures which may be taken to restore, stabilize, and protect a natural stream which has been damaged by severe flooding and is consequently subject to continual accelerated erosion<\/span> or other detrimental effects. The term shall also include measures to return stream flow to its original channel in cases where the stream course has been changed as a result of flooding.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nDEFINITIONS (\u00a7 10.1-650)\n\nAs used in this article, unless the context clearly requires a different\nmeaning:\n\n“Continual accelerated erosion” means a rapid increase in the\nerosion rate of stream banks caused by loss of vegetation, diversion of water by\nconstrictions, undermining, and other resultant effects of severe floods.\n\n“Natural streams” means nontidal waterways which are part of the\nnatural topography. They usually maintain a continuous or seasonal flow during\nthe year and are characterized as being irregular in cross-section with a\nmeandering course. Constructed channels such as drainage ditches or swales shall\nnot be considered natural streams.\n\n“Program” means the Stream Restoration Assistance Program.\n\n“Stream restoration” means any combination of structural and\nvegetative measures which may be taken to restore, stabilize, and protect a\nnatural stream which has been damaged by severe flooding and is consequently\nsubject to continual accelerated erosion or other detrimental effects. The term\nshall also include measures to return stream flow to its original channel in\ncases where the stream course has been changed as a result of flooding.\n\nHISTORY: 1981, c. 450, \u00a7 21-11.23; 1988, c. 891.","edition":{"id":2,"name":"2026","slug":"2026","date_created":"2026-07-16 18:40:23","date_modified":"2026-08-02 15:14:36","current":1,"order_by":2,"last_import":"2026-08-02 12:37:30"}}