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Dane County Land & Water Resources Department

Erosion Control and Shoreland Erosion Control

Erosion and uncontrolled stormwater runoff can have adverse impacts on both land and water. To reduce these impacts, either an Erosion Control Permit or a Shoreland Erosion Control Permit may be required depending on your project's location.

Erosion Control Permit - required by Dane County Ordinance Chapter 14 (PDF) for specific land disturbing activities that occur outside the Shoreland Zone.

Shoreland Erosion Control Permit - required by Dane County Ordinance Chapter 11 (PDF) for specific land disturbing activities that occur within the Shoreland Zone (JPG). If your project is located within the Shoreland Zone, we recommend that you contact Dane County Zoning to determine if permits are required.

Applicability

An Erosion Control Permit or a Shoreland Erosion Control Permit is required for any of the following:

  • Land disturbing activity in excess of 4,000 square feet of land
  • Land disturbing activity that involves excavation, filling, or a combination of excavation and filling, in excess of 400 cubic yards of material
  • Disturbing more than 100 lineal feet of road ditch, grass waterway, or other existing open channel
  • Creating a new public or private road or access drive longer than 125 feet
  • Recording a subdivision plat
  • Any other land disturbing activity (even if less than 4,000 square feet) that the local approval authority determines to have a high risk of soil erosion or water pollution, or that may significantly impact a lake, stream, or wetland area
  • Any land disturbing activity in the Shoreland Zone (see below)

The Shoreland Zone includes all lands within:

  • 1000 feet from the ordinary high-water mark (OHWM) of navigable lakes, ponds, or flowages
  • 300 feet of the ordinary high-water mark (OHWM) or landward side of the floodplain of the navigable reaches of rivers and streams
  • 75 feet of the shoreland or inland wetland district
  • Note: Shoreland Zone Erosion Control Plans must be stamped by a licensed professional engineer (P.E.). Minor projects may be exempt from the P.E. stamp requirement. Check with Water Resource Engineering staff (PDF) to see if your project qualifies for an exemption.

Submit an Application

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)

Resources

Design Resources

  • Stormwater Manual - overview of permit requirements and process
  • Soil Loss & Sediment Discharge Calculation Tool - Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE) spreadsheet used to calculate soil loss and sediment discharge from construction sites
  • DCiMap - online mapping application that can be used to create online and printable maps for permit applications
  • Imagery Resources - online mapping and direct imagery downloads are available on this page.

Additional Resources

  • Service Provider Registries - The Land & Water Resources Department maintains lists of service providers that may be able to provide assistance for meeting department permit requirements. These lists are maintained for informational purposes only.

Contact Staff

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.

 

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