(a) This chapter shall not apply to the following activities:

(1) Surface mining, as the same is defined in Code Section 12-4-72;

(2) Granite quarrying and land clearing for such quarrying;

(3) Such minor land-disturbing activities as home gardens and individual home landscaping, repairs, maintenance work, and other related activities which result in minor soil erosion;

(4) The construction of single-family residences, when such are constructed by or under contract with the owner for his or her own occupancy, or the construction of single-family residences not a part of a platted subdivision, a planned community, or an association of other residential lots consisting of more than two lots and not otherwise exempted under this paragraph; provided, however, that construction of any such residence shall conform to the minimum requirements as set forth in subsection (b) of Code Section 12-7-6. For single-family residence construction covered by the provisions of this paragraph, there shall be a buffer zone between the residence and any state waters classified as trout streams pursuant to Article 2 of Chapter 5 of this title. In any such buffer zone, no land-disturbing activity shall be constructed between the residence and the point where vegetation has been wrested by normal stream flow or wave action from the banks of the trout waters. For primary trout waters, the buffer zone shall be at least 50 horizontal feet, and no variance to a smaller buffer shall be granted. For secondary trout waters, the buffer zone shall be at least 50 horizontal feet, but the director may grant variances to no less than 25 feet. Regardless of whether a trout stream is primary or secondary, for first order trout waters, which are streams into which no other streams flow except for springs, the buffer shall be at least 25 horizontal feet, and no variance to a smaller buffer shall be granted. The minimum requirements of subsection (b) of Code Section 12-7-6 and the buffer zones provided by this paragraph shall be enforced by the issuing authority;

(5) Agricultural operations as defined in Code Section 1-3-3 to include those practices involving the establishment, cultivation, or harvesting of products of the field or orchard; the preparation and planting of pasture land; farm ponds; dairy operations; livestock and poultry management practices; and the construction of farm buildings;

(6) Forestry land management practices, including harvesting; provided, however, that when such exempt forestry practices cause or result in land-disturbing or other activities otherwise prohibited in a buffer, as established in paragraphs (15) and (16) of subsection (b) of Code Section 12-7-6, no other land-disturbing activities, except for normal forest management practices, shall be allowed on the entire property upon which the forestry practices were conducted for a period of three years after the completion of such forestry practices;

(7) Any project carried out under the technical supervision of the Soil and Water Conservation Service of the United States Department of Agriculture;

(8) Any project involving one and one-tenth acres or less; provided, however, that this exemption shall not apply to any land-disturbing activity within 200 feet of the bank of any state waters, and for purposes of this paragraph, "state waters" excludes channels and drainageways which have water in them only during and immediately after rainfall events and intermittent streams which do not have water in them year round; provided, however, that any person responsible for a project which involves one and one-tenth acres or less, which involves land-disturbing activity, and which is within 200 feet of any such excluded channel or drainageway must prevent sediment from moving beyond the boundaries of the property on which such project is located and provided, further, that nothing contained in this chapter shall prevent a city or county which is an issuing authority from regulating any such project which is not specifically exempted by paragraph (1), (2), (3), (4), (5), (6), (7), (9), or (10) of this subsection;

(9) Construction or maintenance projects, or both, undertaken or financed in whole or in part, or both, by the Department of Transportation, the Georgia Highway Authority, or the State Road and Tollway Authority; or any road construction or maintenance project, or both, undertaken by any county or municipality; provided, however, that such projects shall conform to the minimum requirements set forth in Code Section 12-7-6; provided, further, that construction or maintenance projects of the Department of Transportation or the State Road and Tollway Authority which disturb five or more contiguous acres of land shall be subject to the provisions of Code Section 12-7-7.1;

(10) Any land-disturbing activities conducted by any electric membership corporation or municipal electrical system or any public utility under the regulatory jurisdiction of the Public Service Commission, provided that any such land-disturbing activity shall conform to the minimum requirements set forth in Code Section 12-7-6; and

(11) Public water system reservoirs.

(b) Where subsection (a) of this Code section requires compliance with the minimum requirements set forth in Code Section 12-7-6, issuing authorities shall enforce compliance with the minimum requirements as if a permit had been issued and violations shall be subject to the same penalties as violations by permit holders.