Environmental Rules in Duluth, MN (2026)
5 verified environmental rules for Duluth, Minnesota, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Stormwater Management
Under Minnesota Statutes Section 444.075 and its own charter authority, the City of Duluth runs a stormwater utility that charges every property owner a fee based on impervious surface area to fund the storm sewer system's operation, maintenance, and debt service. Fees are billed monthly and unpaid amounts become a lien collected the same way as delinquent property taxes.
Duluth's Citywide Stormwater Utility Fee System
Some RestrictionsDuluth Legislative Code §§ 43-63, 43-64(b)
Pursuant to Minnesota Statutes, Section 444.075, as made applicable to the city of Duluth by Laws of Minnesota, 1995, Chapter 90, and pursuant to the Duluth City Charter, the city hereby establishes a stormwater utility and authorizes the imposition of just and reasonable utility fees for the use and availability of storm sewer facilities. ... It is the purpose of this Article to provide a fair...
Erosion Control
Any land-disturbing activity inside a Duluth shoreland triggers a mandatory erosion and sediment control requirement, and grading or filling above 250 square feet or ten cubic yards in the shore impact zone needs a city-approved erosion control, stormwater management and buffer restoration plan before work starts.
Duluth Shoreland Erosion & Sediment Control
Some RestrictionsDuluth Legislative Code § 50-18.1.D.2(a)-(b)
(a) Erosion and sediment control measures shall be required for any land disturbing activity; (b) Grading and filling of more than 250 square feet or placement of more than ten cubic yards of material within the shore impact zone shall only be permitted if a plan for erosion control, stormwater management and shoreline buffer restoration is approved by the city and effectively implemented;
Flood Zones
Any construction, fill, fence, deck or watercourse work inside a Duluth Special Flood Hazard Area needs a floodplain permit first, and the Floodway District bans new structures outright, allowing only accessory uses tied to low-damage-potential activities under the Natural Resources Overlay.
Duluth Floodplain Development Permit Rules
Significant RestrictionsDuluth Legislative Code §§ 50-18.1.C.1(b)(i), 50-18.1.C.2(a)
(i) Floodway District. Those areas of Zone AE delineated within floodway areas as shown on the Flood Insurance Rate Maps referenced in Section 50-18.1.A.2(b) and those areas within Zone A determined to be located in the floodway based on the delineation methods in Section 50-18.1.C.5(d). ... (a) Permit Required. A permit must be obtained from the City of Duluth to verify compliance with all app...
Boat Dock Permits
In the City of Duluth, a resident's own boat dock is a permitted accessory use with no limit on how many boats the owner keeps there, but renting dock space to others is capped and depends on whether the property fronts an improved street, under the Unified Development Chapter's accessory-use standards.
Duluth Residential Boat Dock Rules
Some RestrictionsDuluth Legislative Code § 50-20.5.C
C. Accessory boat dock, residential. This use shall comply with the following standards: 1. Dockage of boats owned and primarily used by a resident of the property is a permitted accessory use to the primary residential use and shall not be limited in number; 2. If there is a residential structure on the property and the property has frontage on an improved street, the owner of the residential ...
Flood Elevation Requirements
Anything built in a Duluth floodplain must clear the Regulatory Flood Protection Elevation, and critical facilities need two extra feet above the Base Flood Elevation or the 0.2-percent-annual-chance flood level, whichever is higher, under the Unified Development Chapter's Natural Resources Overlay.
Duluth Base Flood Elevation Freeboard Rule
Some RestrictionsDuluth Legislative Code §§ 50-18.1.C.2(b)(iii), 50-18.1.C.4(b)(i)(1)
(iii) Critical facilities shall be located so that the lowest floor is not less than two feet above the Base Flood Elevation (BFE), or the 0.2% annual chance flood elevation, whichever is higher. ... ... 1. Elevation on fill. Structures erected, constructed, reconstructed, altered, or moved on fill within the Flood Fringe District shall be placed so that the lowest floor is elevated at or above...
Looking for St. Louis County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Duluth city rules.
Environmental Rules in St. Louis County →