Erosion Control & Stormwater Management
Stormwater is untreated runoff from rainfall
and snowmelt. It flows across impervious surfaces, through
fields and over construction sites, crossing municipal boundaries
and carrying contaminants to our lakes and streams. These
contaminants can include sediment, excess nutrients, heavy
metals, oil, pesticides and bacteria. Because runoff is
often warmer than our lakes and streams, it can raise their
temperatures and degrade fish habitat.
The Dane County Lakes and Watershed Commission,
after more than two years of careful and collaborative work,
developed a stormwater management ordinance to control damaging
stormwater runoff. During that time, the Commission turned
for help, input, advice and expertise to a number of stakeholders
throughout the county, including technical experts, local
officials, builders and citizens.
The Ordinance went into effect on August 22, 2002, and was amended in fall 2005. Dane
County administers the ordinance in unincorporated areas.
Check the "Where to Apply for a Permit" document
below to learn who administers these requirements within
cities and villages in Dane County.
The Commission's Stormwater Infiltration Task Force began meeting in September 2005 to
evaluate and recommend possible changes to the county's infiltration standards. The Task
Force’s final report and recommendations is
available in Adobe pdf format. Their recommended infiltration amendment to Ch. 14 was
adopted by the County Board in August 2006, and became effective on September 1, 2006.
Effective January 2, 2007, Dane County's stormwater and erosion control programs are now all under one roof at the Land Conservation Division of the Land and Water Resources Department, located in the Lyman F. Anderson Agriculture and Conservation Center, Room 208, 1 Fen Oak Court in southeast Madison (phone 224-3730). Updated application forms and a completely updated and expanded Dane County Erosion Control and Stormwater Management Manual are found below.
The Land Conservation Division also administers county erosion control and stormwater management requirements for the shoreland zone of navigable waters within unincorporated areas. The shoreland zone lies within 1,000 feet from the ordinary high-water mark of lakes, ponds or flowages and within 300 feet of the ordinary high-water mark (or landward side of the flood plain) of rivers and streams. See section 11.05 of the Dane County Code of Ordinances for these erosion and stormwater requirements (a link to Chapter 11 is found below). All other aspects of Chapter 11 are administered by Dane County Zoning
Ordinance Forms & Technical Assistance
(all documents below are in
Adobe Acrobat unless otherwise stated)
Program Background & Countywide Implementation
(all documents below are in
Adobe Acrobat unless otherwise stated)
Related Links
|