Environmental Rules in Walton County, FL (2026)
5 rules for unincorporated Walton County, Florida.
Verified from official government sources
Stormwater Management
Every residential, commercial and industrial project in unincorporated Walton County has to control erosion and sediment until the site is fully stabilized, under Section 5.06.00 of the Land Development Code. Larger sites, those disturbing an acre or more, need a Florida DEP NPDES stormwater construction permit before work starts, and a site running without adequate erosion controls can be issued a notice of violation.
Stormwater Management Rules in Walton County
Some RestrictionsWalton County Land Development Code § 5.06.00
This section shall govern the design, construction, or alteration of all stormwater management and drainage systems within the unincorporated portions of Walton County. All residential, commercial, and industrial projects shall incorporate sufficient erosion and sediment controls until final stabilization of the construction site. ... A National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) st...
Erosion Control
Any construction within 300 feet of one of Walton County's coastal dune lakes, the rare water bodies that give South Walton's 30A corridor its name, must keep erosion controls such as staked hay bales, siltation barriers and floating silt or filter berms in place under LDC § 4.02.03 until permanent vegetation stabilizes the disturbed ground.
Erosion Control Near Walton County's Dune Lakes
Some RestrictionsWalton County Land Development Code § 4.02.03
The Coastal Dune Lake Protection Zone is defined as being all lands within an area beginning at the mean or ordinary high water line of the Coastal Dune Lakes and their tributaries and extending 300 feet landward. ... B.Erosion control: Specific erosion control measures shall be utilized during construction activity, such as staked and staggered hay bales, siltation barriers, floating silt and ...
Flood Zones
Any development wholly or partly within a mapped flood hazard area in unincorporated Walton County needs a floodplain permit or approval from the county's Floodplain Administrator before work starts, under Land Development Code § 4.09.05(A). Flood hazard boundaries come from the December 30, 2020 Flood Insurance Study and FEMA's Flood Insurance Rate Maps, adopted by reference in § 4.09.02(C).
Floodplain Development Permits in Walton County, FL
Significant RestrictionsWalton County Land Development Code § 4.09.05(A)
A.Permits required. Any owner or owner's authorized agent (hereinafter "applicant") who intends to undertake any development activity within the scope of this ordinance, including buildings, structures and facilities exempt from the Florida Building Code, which is wholly within or partially within any flood hazard area shall first make application to the Floodplain Administrator, and the Buildi...
Boat Dock Permits
A private dock on Choctawhatchee Bay in unincorporated Walton County must clear the Bay Shoreline Protection Zone's 50-foot no-development buffer, and within that buffer the pier or dock itself cannot sit over seagrass-vegetated submerged land except to reach water one foot below the boat's lowest point at mean low tide, per LDC § 4.03.03.B.
Dock Setbacks on Choctawhatchee Bay in Walton County
Significant RestrictionsWalton County Land Development Code § 4.03.03
This Zone shall encompass the Bay itself and all area within 50 feet landward of the mean high water line of Choctawhatchee Bay and bayous directly connected with the Bay.1.No development shall be located within 50 feet landward of the mean high water line of Choctawhatchee Bay and bayous connected directly to the Bay, with the exception of boardwalks, public access facilities and/or landward p...
Flood Elevation Requirements
In unincorporated Walton County, the Floodplain Management Ordinance adopts the December 30, 2020 Flood Insurance Study and its Flood Insurance Rate Maps by reference as the minimum basis for setting base flood elevations. Where a FIRM shows no base flood elevation, the Floodplain Administrator can default it to three feet above the highest adjacent grade unless site data shows deeper flooding, or can require the applicant's own engineering study instead.
Base Flood Elevation Set by FIRM in Walton County
Some RestrictionsWalton County Land Development Code §§ 4.09.02(C), 4.09.06(B)(3)(b)
C.Basis for establishing flood hazard areas. The Flood Insurance Study for Walton County, Florida and Incorporated Areas dated December 30, 2020, and all subsequent amendments and revisions, and the accompanying Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRM), and all subsequent amendments and revisions to such maps, are adopted by reference as a part of this ordinance and shall serve as the minimum basis for...
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