Erosion Control and Stormwater Management


General Information
• To determine what watershed your property is located in, please view the watershed map below. 
• Additional property information can also found on the Orange County GIS website. 
• Information related to Erosion Control and Stormwater threshold requirements can be found in the Watershed Map and Matrix Table. 
• Erosion Control, Stormwater, and Engineering staff's Office and Field Schedules can be viewed here. 
View larger map
  1. Erosion and Sedimentation Control Plan (ECSP)
  2. Stormwater Management Plan (SMP)
Land Disturbing Permit (LPD) Requirements
Clearing and grading exceeding 20,000 square feet (roughly 1/2 acre), requires an ECSP and a Land Disturbance Permit (LDP). LDPs must be obtained before any land disturbing activity begins (including timbering, demolition, clearing, or grading, etc.). 

Does your proposed project fall within a High Quality Water Zone (HQW)?
Access the HQW map through the link below to see if your project falls into an HQW and what that means for your developmental process.
University Lake, Cane Creek, and Upper Eno Watersheds - If the site is located within the University Lake, Cane Creek, or Upper Eno watersheds, a ECSP with a LDP is required for any grading exceeding 10,000 square feet (approximately 1/4 acre). Note, a waiver is required by the Erosion Control Division for land disturbances of less than 10,000 square feet.

Application and Submittal Information - The Erosion Control Plan submittal must include a Land Disturbance Permit (LDP) application. The application form consists of two parts:
1. Applications for Erosion Control Plan Approval and Land Disturbance Permit 
2. Statement of Ownership and Financial Responsibility

Neuse Buffer Rules
The State of North Carolina has designated Orange County as the delegated authority to administer the Stream Buffer Rules within Orange County's Planning Jurisdiction. Under Section 6.13 of the Orange County Unified Development Ordinance, these watersheds have more restrictive County stream buffer requirements than the state’s minimum. 
Streams - Surface Water Identification (SWID)
The presence of a stream buffer can impact land uses and land disturbing activities such as driveways and building locations. Anyone who wishes to dispute a mapped jurisdictional stream may request staff to evaluate the stream. Staff uses methodologies and criteria developed by the North Carolina Division of Water Quality to determine if the stream feature shown on the map is subject to buffer requirements. A SWID form can be found here.
Floodplain Development
A Floodplain Development Permit (FDP) is a required document for any disturbance within the 100-year floodplain prior to the starting any development activity, including, but not limited to: 
• Building fences
• The clearing of land
• Constructing a barn or shed
• Repairing or expanding a structure
• Installing a road or driveway
Note, no new structures are allowed within the 100-year floodplain.
Community Outreach
• 2023 Earth Walk Educational Outreach to Several Orange County Middle Schools
• 2023 Earth Walk Educational Outreach at Orange Middle School and A.L. Stanback Middle School
• 2023 Habitat for Humanity Student Career Day with Orange County DEAPR and Stormwater Management/Engineering Staff
Resources, Guides, and Additional Information 
• Internal Review Procedure Remedy For Disagreement
• Notice of Intent (NOI) - New North Carolina Construction General Permit (NCG01) Issued
• North Carolina Erosion and Sediment Control Planning and Design Manual
• Tree Harvesting in Orange County 
• Stormwater Pollution Fact Sheet
• CWEP Introduction to Stormwater Runoff Video
• Stormwater Requirements
• Rain Gardens 
• Small-scale Solutions to Eroding Streambanks