Landscaping Rules in Portage County, WI (2026)
1 rule for unincorporated Portage County, Wisconsin.
Verified from official government sources
Note: These county rules apply to unincorporated areas of Portage County. If you live within an incorporated city, that city's own rules apply: see the city list below.
Tree Removal & Heritage Trees
Along navigable lakes and streams in unincorporated Portage County, removing trees and shrubs within 35 feet of the ordinary high-water mark is banned by default; the shoreland zoning code only lets an owner cut a formula-limited access corridor or get Planning and Zoning Department sign-off for other vegetation work.
Portage County Shoreline Tree Removal Limits
Significant RestrictionsPortage County Code § 7.7.6(2)
(2)Establishment of a Vegetative Buffer Zone. ... land that extends from the ordinary high water mark of a navigable waterway to a minimum of 35 feet inland shall be designated as a vegetative buffer zone. Removal of vegetation in the vegetative buffer zone is prohibited, except as follows:(a)Routine maintenance of vegetation within the vegetative buffer zone may be permitted, subject to review...
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