Terms Used In South Carolina Code > Title 49 > Chapter 23 - South Carolina Drought Response Act

• Appeal: A request made after a trial, asking another court (usually the court of appeals) to decide whether the trial was conducted properly. To make such a request is "to appeal" or "to take an appeal." One who appeals is called the appellant.
• Conservation: means , to minimize or prevent depletion or waste of the water resource. See South Carolina Code 49-23-20
• Conviction: A judgement of guilt against a criminal defendant.
• Department: means the Department of Natural Resources. See South Carolina Code 49-23-20
• Dependent: A person dependent for support upon another.
• Diffused surface water: means waters of a casual or vagrant character, lying or running on the surface of the earth but not in definite courses, streams, or waterbodies. See South Carolina Code 49-23-20
• Drought: means a period of diminished precipitation which results in negative impacts upon the hydrology, agriculture, biota, energy, and economy of the State. See South Carolina Code 49-23-20
• Drought indices: means topical and quantitative indicators of drought including, but not limited to, sustained decline in water levels of natural flowing streams and other natural bodies of water, decline in water tables above and below ground, forest fire indices, sustained decline in potable drinking water supplies, agricultural stress, low soil moisture, and low precipitation. See South Carolina Code 49-23-20
• Drought Response Committee: means the committee created under § 49-23-60 to be convened to address drought related problems and responses. See South Carolina Code 49-23-20
• Equitable: Pertaining to civil suits in "equity" rather than in "law." In English legal history, the courts of "law" could order the payment of damages and could afford no other remedy. See damages. A separate court of "equity" could order someone to do something or to cease to do something. See, e.g., injunction. In American jurisprudence, the federal courts have both legal and equitable power, but the distinction is still an important one. For example, a trial by jury is normally available in "law" cases but not in "equity" cases. ^{Source: U.S. Courts}
• Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
• Extreme drought: means that the drought has increased to extreme levels as demonstrated by drought indices. See South Carolina Code 49-23-20
• Incipient drought: means that there is a threat of a drought as demonstrated by drought indices. See South Carolina Code 49-23-20
• Person: means all persons, including individuals, firms, partnerships, associations, public or private institutions, municipalities or political subdivisions, governmental agencies, or private or public corporations organized under the laws of this State or another state or country. See South Carolina Code 49-23-20
• Water resources: means water on or beneath the surface of the ground, including natural and artificial water courses, lakes or ponds, and water percolating, standing, or flowing beneath the surface of the ground. See South Carolina Code 49-23-20