Uncontrolled stormwater runoff can have adverse impacts on land and water resources. To reduce these impacts, a Stormwater Management Permit may be required for specific land disturbing activities occurring within Dane County, per Dane County Ordinance Chapter 14 (PDF).
Projects that require a Stormwater Management Permit often also require an Erosion Control Permit. More information about this permit can be found on the Erosion Control and Shoreland Erosion Control webpage.
A Stormwater Management Permit is required for any of the following:
Please note that all permit determinations must be made in writing by our staff.
Permit application form(s):
Additional forms and information that may need to be submitted with your permit application(s):
Water Resource Engineering staff review Erosion Control & Shoreland Erosion Control, Shoreland Mitigation, and Stormwater Management Permits. Digital submittals for these permits can be submitted via:
Depending on the municipality in which your proposed project is located, you may need to also apply for one of the permits listed in the next section or with your local municipality. View this document for information on where to apply given your location: Where to Apply for a Permit (PDF)
Am I exempt from the infiltration standard?
It is unusual for an entire site to be considered exempt from the infiltration standard. Visit the Infiltration Exemption page for guidance on how to determine if this exemption applies to your project.
Am I in a thermally sensitive watershed?
To determine if you are in a thermally sensitive watershed, visit DCiMap and navigate to your project. Then, click on "Map Layers," the water drop icon, and then scroll down and check the "Thermal Stream Data" box. This will turn on hatching that indicates if your project is located in a thermally sensitive area. If so, please visit the Thermal Mitigation page for further guidance.
Which storm events should I use?
Storm events are specified in the Dane County Code of Ordinances, Chapter 14, as follows:
What curve numbers should I use?
Acceptable curve numbers are specified in the Dane County Code of Ordinances, Chapter 14 in Table 1. Please note that the area within the limits of disturbance should be lowered by one permeability class (HSG C to D, for example) between existing and proposed conditions.
What's the difference between new development and redevelopment?
Visit the Redevelopment page for further clarification.
Design Resources
Additional Resources
For any questions regarding erosion control or stormwater management permits, please feel free to reach out to Dane County staff. To find the staff contact in your area, view the Staff Contact Map. If you can’t tell who your staff contact should be, please email Water Resources Engineering wrediv@danecounty.gov or call the office (608) 224-3730.
