Environmental Rules in Salem, OR (2026)
5 verified environmental rules for Salem, Oregon, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Stormwater Management
Salem bans discharging any pollutant into the public or private stormwater system or a receiving water within city limits. The rule covers every property and activity, whether or not a permit is involved, and a violation is a stand-alone infraction under Chapter 71.
Salem Stormwater Discharge Rules
Some RestrictionsSalem Revised Code § 71.050
Sec. 71.050. - Prohibited discharges. (a)Except as provided in SRC 71.055, no person shall discharge, directly or indirectly, any pollutant into the public stormwater system, a private stormwater system, or receiving water located within or contiguous to the City's corporate limits.(b)A violation of this section is an infraction.
Erosion Control
Salem bans visible, measurable erosion or sediment reaching its storm system and requires an erosion control permit for ground disturbance of 1,000 square feet or more, with civil penalties up to $2,000 per day for violations.
Salem Erosion and Sediment Control Permit
Significant RestrictionsSalem Revised Code §§ 75.030, 75.050
Sec. 75.030. - Erosion prohibited. No person shall cause or suffer visible and measurable erosion or sediment which enters or is likely to enter the public storm drainage system, drainage courses, or wetlands. ... Sec. 75.050. - Erosion control permits. (a)Except as provided in subsection (b) of this section, no person shall conduct ground disturbing activities equal to or greater than 1,000 sq...
Flood Zones
Any construction or development within Salem's Special Flood Hazard Area or an interim flood hazard area requires a floodplain development permit before work begins. The Public Works Director, acting as Floodplain Administrator, issues Class 1 permits for projects that skip a mitigation assessment and Class 2 permits for projects that need one under SRC 601.100.
Salem Floodplain Development Permit
Some RestrictionsSRC § 601.045(a)-(b)
(a)Applicability. A development permit shall be obtained before construction or development begins within any area horizontally within the SFHA established in SRC 601.030(a) or within an interim flood hazard area established in SRC 601.030(c). The development permit shall be required for all structures, including manufactured dwellings, and for all other development, as defined in SRC 601.005, ...
Vehicle Idling Restrictions
Salem bans idling a motor vehicle engine for more than ten consecutive minutes when the noise is plainly audible inside a dwelling between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. SRC 93.020(f) treats prolonged nighttime idling as a noise disturbance, enforced by the Salem Police Department as an infraction that can escalate to a misdemeanor for repeat offenders.
Salem 10-Minute Vehicle Idling Limit
Some RestrictionsSalem Revised Code § 93.020(f)
Idling engines on motor vehicles. It shall be unlawful to operate any idling engine for more than ten consecutive minutes in a manner that is plainly audible within any dwelling unit between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. of the following day.
Flood Elevation Requirements
Salem requires new and substantially improved residential structures in mapped flood zones to elevate the lowest floor, including the basement, at least one foot above the base flood elevation. Non-residential buildings must either match that elevation or be floodproofed to the same one-foot freeboard under SRC 601.075(c).
Salem Flood Elevation Freeboard Rule
Some RestrictionsSRC § 601.075(c)(2)
(2)Residential construction.(A)New construction and substantial improvement of any residential structure shall have the lowest floor, including basement, elevated no less than one foot above the base flood elevation.(B)Enclosed areas below the lowest floor shall comply with the flood opening requirements in SRC 601.075(a).
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County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Salem city rules.
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