Environmental Rules in Appleton, WI (2026)
5 verified environmental rules for Appleton, Wisconsin, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Stormwater Management
Appleton requires a post-construction runoff permit before any land-disturbing construction activity, with one- and two-family residential lots exempted. City Code Sec. 20-321 sets a $100 non-refundable application fee and a licensed engineer's stamp on the stormwater management plan. Performance standards in Sec. 20-312 cap peak discharge rates and set well-separation distances for infiltration basins and detention ponds.
Appleton Stormwater Runoff Permit Rules
Some RestrictionsAppleton Municipal Code § 20-321(a)
(a) Permit required. No responsible party may undertake a land disturbing construction activity except One- and Two-family residential lots, without receiving a post-construction runoff permit from the City of Appleton prior to commencing the proposed activity.
Erosion Control
Land-disturbing construction of an acre or more in Appleton needs an erosion and sediment control plan and permit before work starts, backed by state law authority, city inspections, stop-work power, and daily forfeitures for noncompliance.
Appleton Erosion & Sediment Control Rules
Significant RestrictionsAppleton Municipal Code § 24-10(a)(2)
(2) Land disturbing activities meeting any one of the following are required to prepare a plan and obtain a permit: a. Building on lots in subdivisions, certified survey maps or unplatted lands. b. Land disturbing activities involving grading, removal of protective ground cover or vegetation, excavation, land filling, scraping or other land disturbing activity affecting a surface of one (1) acr...
Flood Zones
The City of Appleton participates in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) and regulates floodplain development through its Title 23 Zoning Ordinance, in conformance with Wis. Stat. Sec. 87.30 and Wisconsin Administrative Code Chapter NR 116, plus 44 CFR 59-72. The Fox River is the primary flood source through the city. Effective FEMA Digital Flood Insurance Rate Maps (DFIRMs) for Outagamie County, including Appleton panels, were issued July 22, 2010, derived in part from the Fox River HEC-RAS 2008 Appleton Leverage Study. Development in mapped Special Flood Hazard Areas requires zoning approval, and structures in the regulatory floodway are prohibited or strictly limited.
Flood Zone Regulations (Appleton, WI)
Heavy RestrictionsWis. Stat. 87.30
87.30 87.30 Floodplain zoning. 87.30(1) (1) State powers. 87.30(1)(a) (a) If any county, city or village does not adopt a reasonable and effective floodplain zoning ordinance within one year after hydraulic and engineering data adequate to formulate the ordinance becomes available, the department shall, upon petition of an interested state agency or a municipality or upon its own motion as soon...
Boat Dock Permits
Within Appleton's Shoreland-Wetland Zoning District, a pier, dock, walkway, observation deck or trail bridge built on pilings needs no City wetland-alteration permit, as long as filling and excavating stay limited to what the pilings require. State DNR permits are still required. A permanent boathouse or fixed houseboat placed below the ordinary high-water mark of any navigable water is prohibited outright.
Appleton Shoreland Dock Construction Rules
Some RestrictionsAppleton Municipal Code § 23-326(i)-(j)
The following uses are permitted in the Shoreland-Wetland Zoning District subject to the provisions of Chapters 30 and 31, Wisconsin State Statutes and the provisions of the Municipal Code of the City of Appleton, state and federal laws, if applicable. ... (2) Activities and uses which do not require the issuance of a permit and which may involve wetland alterations but only to the extent speci...
Flood Elevation Requirements
Appleton requires new and moved residential structures in the Floodfringe District to set their lowest floor at or above the flood protection elevation, which the code defines as two feet of freeboard above the regional flood elevation. Fill supporting the structure must run at least one foot above the regional flood elevation and extend 15 feet beyond the building.
Appleton Base Flood Elevation Rule
Some RestrictionsAppleton Municipal Code § 23-253(a)
(a) Residential uses. Any structure, including a manufactured home, which is to be newly constructed or moved into the floodfringe, shall meet or exceed the following standards. Any existing structure in the floodfringe must meet the requirements of Division 6 Nonconforming Uses; (1) The elevation of the lowest floor shall be at or above the flood protection elevation on fill unless the require...
Looking for Outagamie County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Appleton city rules.
Environmental Rules in Outagamie County →