Environmental Rules in Jefferson Parish, LA (2026)
4 rules for unincorporated Jefferson Parish, Louisiana.
Verified from official government sources
Stormwater Management
Any digging, filling, or construction in or near a Jefferson Parish drainage canal or ditch needs a permit from the parish drainage department, and dumping material into a canal, ditch, or catch basin without one is a violation. Canals must sit at least 35 feet from structures and ditches at least 20 feet, protecting the flood-control network that keeps the parish's low-lying, flood-prone West Bank and East Bank drained.
Drainage Canal and Ditch Rules in Jefferson Parish
Significant RestrictionsJefferson Parish Code § 27-71
(a)It shall be unlawful to dump or place material of any type into parish catch basins, in a canal/ditch, on the banks of a drainage canal/ditch or in a drainage servitude without a permit.(b)It shall be unlawful to construct to place improvements of any type in a drainage canal/ditch, on the banks of a drainage canal/ditch or in a drainage servitude without a permit.
Erosion Control
Jefferson Parish requires erosion and sediment controls on every development its stormwater rules cover, not just a single high-risk category. Section 33-7.4.2(2) of the Unified Development Code's adequate-public-facilities article makes controls mandatory during and after new construction whenever they are needed to keep erosion or downstream sediment deposits from increasing.
Erosion and Sediment Controls Required in Jefferson Parish
Some RestrictionsJefferson Parish Unified Development Code § 33-7.4.2(2)
(1)On-site stormwater detention or retention basins shall be required where needed to protect public or private property from increased volumes or velocity of stormwater runoff.(2)Erosion and sedimentation controls shall be required during and after new construction as needed to prevent increased erosion or increased deposits of material downstream from the development.(3)Stormwater systems sha...
Flood Zones
Before filling, grading, or building anything in a special or local flood hazard area of unincorporated Jefferson Parish, you need a floodplain development permit from the Department of Building Permits. Chapter 14 of the parish code makes it unlawful to start new construction, a substantial improvement, or place a manufactured home in Zones AE, VE, X, X-Protected by Levee, or the 0.2 percent annual chance zone without one.
Jefferson Parish Floodplain Development Permit Rules
Some RestrictionsJefferson Parish Code of Ordinances § 14-5.1
(a)In unincorporated Jefferson Parish, it shall be unlawful to proceed with any new development, construction, substantial improvement, to include "repetitive loss" and "substantial damaged structures", or manufactured homes, without having obtained a permit properly numbered and approved from the director of the building permits.(b)It shall be the duty of the department of building permits to ...
Flood Elevation Requirements
Jefferson Parish sets its own floor-height floor on top of FEMA's base flood elevation: every new residential slab must sit at or above the BFE and never less than eighteen inches above the crown of the street, whichever is higher. Nonresidential slabs get a six-inch crown-of-street floor instead, and construction in V zones needs a Louisiana-licensed engineer's certification that the structure is anchored to pilings.
Base Flood Elevation and Freeboard in Jefferson Parish
Some RestrictionsJefferson Parish Code of Ordinances Sec. 8-2-111.2
The top of slab/floor for residential use, shall be at or above the base flood elevation established by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) on its Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM). However, in all instances of residential use, the top of slab/floor shall not be less than eighteen (18) inches above the crown of the street. The top of slab/floor, for nonresidential use, shall be at or a...
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