Environmental Rules in Kootenai County, ID (2026)
6 rules for unincorporated Kootenai County, Idaho.
Verified from official government sources
Stormwater Management
Unincorporated Kootenai County requires a site disturbance permit for new driveways, subdivisions, and most grading or excavation work. Land Use and Development Code section 8.7.105 requires the stormwater system to convey a 50-year storm without flooding and hold peak runoff at pre-development levels for a 25-year storm, and section 8.7.106 requires treatment of the first half inch of runoff before it reaches ground or surface water.
Stormwater Detention and Treatment in Kootenai County
Some RestrictionsKootenai County LUDC 8.7.105(A),(C); 8.7.106(A)
8.7.105: STORMWATER DETENTION AND CONVEYANCE: A. Stormwater conveyance mechanisms must be sized to convey runoff from a 50-year storm event without causing flooding or other damage to public or private property, the stormwater management system, or other improvements. ... C. Stormwater systems shall provide for sufficient storage volume and detention time to result in no increase in the peak ra...
Erosion Control
Kootenai County requires a site disturbance permit for grading, excavation and new driveways outside the cities, with erosion and sedimentation control best management practices mandatory on every site. Stabilized construction entrances, exposed-soil covering and revegetation of cut slopes are all specific, enforceable standards under LUDC Article 8.7.
Erosion and Sediment Control Rules in Kootenai County
Some RestrictionsKootenai County LUDC 8.7.104
A. Erosion and sedimentation control BMPs for all sites must be sufficient to prevent sediment from leaving the site. B. Stabilized construction entrances and driveways shall be required for all construction sites to minimize sediment tracking onto roadways. Such entrances and driveways shall be a minimum of six inches (6") thick, with a minimum rock size of three inches (3"), and a length suff...
Flood Zones
Building, filling, grading or substantially improving property inside a FEMA-mapped special flood hazard area in unincorporated Kootenai County requires a floodplain development permit from the Director before work starts. Construction inside the mapped floodway is banned except for replacement of an existing structure, accessory buildings, or an access road with no alternative route, and even then an engineer's no-rise certification is required.
Floodplain Development Rules in Kootenai County
Significant RestrictionsKootenai County LUDC 8.7.202(B)
B. Restrictions On Development In Floodways: No floodplain development shall be permitted in any designated floodway except new construction solely for the replacement or substantial improvement of an existing residential or commercial structure and accessory buildings in conjunction with an existing residential or commercial use, and except as otherwise provided in this section. Additionally, ...
Boat Dock Permits
Kootenai County's land use code does not permit a private boat dock itself; that requires a separate Idaho Department of Lands permit. Instead LUDC 8.4.1410 tightly controls what can be built on the shoreline parcel serving the dock: one accessory storage building of 2,000 square feet or less, plus limited decks, walkways, stairways and trams.
Dock Lot Rules in Kootenai County
Some RestrictionsKootenai County LUDC 8.4.1410(A)-(C)
A. Notwithstanding any other provision of this title to the contrary, the uses permitted on dock lots shall be limited to the following: 1. One (1) personal storage building of two thousand (2,000) square feet or less in size shall be permitted of right regardless of parcel size. Such buildings may include a toilet and sink, but shall not otherwise include habitable space. Disposal of wastewate...
Defensible Space
Wildfire mitigation plans for timbered subdivisions in unincorporated Kootenai County must identify emergency firefighting water supplies and protect them. Land Use and Development Code section 8.6.901(B)(6) bars locating a water source within fifty feet of a structure, requires the source to be surrounded by defensible space, and requires signage approved by the fire district, the Idaho Department of Lands, or the county.
Defensible Space for Water Sources in Kootenai County
Some RestrictionsKootenai County LUDC 8.6.901(B)(6)
6. Identification of sufficient and accessible emergency water supplies for firefighting purposes. Water sources cannot be located within fifty feet (50') of a structure, must be surrounded with defensible space, and should be clearly identified with signs approved by the fire district, IDL or Kootenai County.
Flood Elevation Requirements
Kootenai County requires three feet of freeboard above the base flood elevation for every new or substantially improved structure in a mapped flood hazard area. The resulting flood protection elevation, base flood elevation plus that three-foot freeboard, sets the minimum height for the lowest floor of residential and nonresidential buildings alike under the county's floodplain code.
Base Flood Elevation and Freeboard Rules
Some RestrictionsKootenai County LUDC 8.7.204(A)(1), (C)(1)
A. Residential Structures: 1. New and replacement residential structures, accessory living units, and all improvements to residential structures, including manufactured homes and mobile homes, regardless of whether they meet the definition of a "substantial improvement", shall have the top of the lowest floor, including the floor of an attached garage or basement, elevated no lower than the flo...
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