Coastal Development: Doylestown vs Richboro
How do coastal development rules compare between Doylestown, PA and Richboro, PA?
Doylestown and Richboro have similar restriction levels.
Doylestown, PA
Bucks County
Bucks County has no coastal-development ordinance because it is an inland Pennsylvania county with no Atlantic or Great Lakes shoreline. Pennsylvania's federally approved Coastal Zone Management program covers only the Lake Erie and Delaware Estuary coastal zones, and the Delaware Estuary boundary ends at the head of tide in Trenton, NJ — entirely downstream of Bucks County. Shoreline and waterway activity along the non-tidal Delaware River and its tributaries is regulated instead under PA Code Title 25 Chapter 105 (Dam Safety and Waterway Management), the PA Floodplain Management Act of 1978 (32 P.S. §§ 679.101 et seq.), and Delaware River Basin Commission docket review.
View full Doylestown rules →Richboro, PA
Bucks County
Bucks County has no coastal-development ordinance because it is an inland Pennsylvania county with no Atlantic or Great Lakes shoreline. Pennsylvania's federally approved Coastal Zone Management program covers only the Lake Erie and Delaware Estuary coastal zones, and the Delaware Estuary boundary ends at the head of tide in Trenton, NJ — entirely downstream of Bucks County. Shoreline and waterway activity along the non-tidal Delaware River and its tributaries is regulated instead under PA Code Title 25 Chapter 105 (Dam Safety and Waterway Management), the PA Floodplain Management Act of 1978 (32 P.S. §§ 679.101 et seq.), and Delaware River Basin Commission docket review.
View full Richboro rules →Key Facts Comparison
| Fact | Doylestown | Richboro |
|---|---|---|
| Coastal Status | Inland — no ocean or Great Lakes shoreline | Inland — no ocean or Great Lakes shoreline |
| PA Coastal Zone | Lake Erie + Delaware Estuary (to head of tide, Trenton) | Lake Erie + Delaware Estuary (to head of tide, Trenton) |
| Head of Tide | At Morrisville/Trenton — county is upstream | At Morrisville/Trenton — county is upstream |
| Applicable Regime | PA Code Title 25 Ch. 105 (not coastal zone) | PA Code Title 25 Ch. 105 (not coastal zone) |
| Floodplain Authority | PA Act 166 of 1978 (32 P.S. § 679.101) | PA Act 166 of 1978 (32 P.S. § 679.101) |
| Basin Review | Delaware River Basin Commission | Delaware River Basin Commission |
| Local Permit | Bucks County Conservation District (Ch. 102 E&S) | Bucks County Conservation District (Ch. 102 E&S) |
| Max DEP Penalty | $10,000/day (32 P.S. § 693.21) | $10,000/day (32 P.S. § 693.21) |
Highlighted rows indicate differences between cities.
Doylestown FAQ
Does Bucks County have a coastal-development ordinance?
No. Bucks County is inland and is not within Pennsylvania's federally approved coastal zone. PA's Coastal Zone Management Program covers only the Lake Erie shoreline in Erie County and the tidal Delaware Estuary, which ends at the head of tide near Trenton, NJ — downstream of every parcel in Bucks County. There is therefore no county or state coastal-development permit to obtain.
What rules apply if I want to build a dock or bulkhead on the Delaware River in Bucks County?
You apply under PA Code Title 25 Chapter 105 (Dam Safety and Waterway Management), not under any coastal program. PA DEP requires a Chapter 105 Joint Permit Application for docks, wharves, bulkheads (Subchapter H), fills and floodwalls (Subchapter F), and stream crossings (Subchapter G). The Delaware River Basin Commission may also require docket approval, and your township or borough enforces a FEMA-based floodplain ordinance under the PA Floodplain Management Act of 1978 (32 P.S. § 679.101). The Bucks County Conservation District handles Chapter 102 erosion and sediment control.
Where exactly does Pennsylvania's coastal zone end on the Delaware River?
At the head of tide, which is the Falls of the Delaware between Morrisville Borough (Bucks County) and Trenton, NJ. Everything in Bucks County sits upstream of that line on the non-tidal Delaware, so coastal-zone permits and consistency reviews do not apply within the county.
Richboro FAQ
Does Bucks County have a coastal-development ordinance?
No. Bucks County is inland and is not within Pennsylvania's federally approved coastal zone. PA's Coastal Zone Management Program covers only the Lake Erie shoreline in Erie County and the tidal Delaware Estuary, which ends at the head of tide near Trenton, NJ — downstream of every parcel in Bucks County. There is therefore no county or state coastal-development permit to obtain.
What rules apply if I want to build a dock or bulkhead on the Delaware River in Bucks County?
You apply under PA Code Title 25 Chapter 105 (Dam Safety and Waterway Management), not under any coastal program. PA DEP requires a Chapter 105 Joint Permit Application for docks, wharves, bulkheads (Subchapter H), fills and floodwalls (Subchapter F), and stream crossings (Subchapter G). The Delaware River Basin Commission may also require docket approval, and your township or borough enforces a FEMA-based floodplain ordinance under the PA Floodplain Management Act of 1978 (32 P.S. § 679.101). The Bucks County Conservation District handles Chapter 102 erosion and sediment control.
Where exactly does Pennsylvania's coastal zone end on the Delaware River?
At the head of tide, which is the Falls of the Delaware between Morrisville Borough (Bucks County) and Trenton, NJ. Everything in Bucks County sits upstream of that line on the non-tidal Delaware, so coastal-zone permits and consistency reviews do not apply within the county.
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