Erosion Control and Shoreland Erosion Control

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.

View application materials below:

• Application Materials and submission instructions

Before you apply, you may wish to review / complete:

• Stormwater Manual for an overview of permit requirements and process
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Permit Fees
• Agricultural Ditch-Tile-Clearing Checklist before starting agricultural ditching, repairing tile, or breaking out new land

Primary Tools

• 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
• Land & Water Viewer - online mapping application that can be used to create online and printable maps for permit applications

Additional Tools

• Agricultural Ditch-Tile-Clearing Checklist (PDF) to complete before starting agricultural ditching, repairing tile, or breaking out new land
• Acceptable Native Species for the Shoreland Zone (PDF) - plant species that have been approved for use in establishing a native vegetated buffer to meet shoreland zoning requirements.
• Permit Fees

Additional forms that may need to be submitted with your permit application(s):

• Memo to Chapter 14 Permit Applicants explaining Financial Security Instrument requirement (PDF)
• Example Format for Letter of Credit for Chapter 14 Permit Applicants (PDF)
• Example Format for Letter of Credit for Chapter 14 Permit Applicants (Word)
• Example Format for Notarized Statement Authorizing an Applicant (PDF)

Your project may also need a permit from another agency, common links are provided below. Please confirm permit requirements prior to beginning a project.

Department of Planning & Development

• Floodplain
• Shoreland Zoning
• Zoning

Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources

• Water Permits 
• Dredging