5 county-level rules, plus city-specific rules for 1 city in Whatcom County, Washington.
Verified from official government sources
New development in Whatcom County must control runoff on site under the Western Washington stormwater standards. Rules tighten sharply inside the Lake Whatcom watershed, where stormwater is the main source of the phosphorus fouling Bellingham's drinking-water reservoir.
Land-disturbing work in Whatcom County needs erosion and sediment control. Grading permits carry an erosion plan, and clearing near marine bluffs or in the Lake Whatcom watershed faces seasonal limits and critical-areas review under WCC 16.16.
RCW 36.70A.060(2)
Each county and city shall adopt development regulations that protect critical areas that are required to be designated under RCW 36.70A.170.
Whatcom County's Salish Sea shoreline, Bellingham Bay, Lake Whatcom, and the Nooksack River are shorelines of the state. Under the Shoreline Management Act, work within 200 feet of the high-water mark needs a permit under the county's Shoreline Master Program.
RCW 90.58.020
The legislature finds that the shorelines of the state are among the most valuable and fragile of its natural resources.
Whatcom County enforces floodplain rules along the flood-prone Nooksack River. In FEMA Special Flood Hazard Areas, new homes must sit above base flood elevation, building in the floodway is barred, and a floodplain development permit is required.
RCW 86.16.041
Every county and incorporated city and town shall submit to the department of ecology any new floodplain management ordinance or amendment to any existing floodplain management ordinance.
Whatcom County requires a grading permit for significant excavation or fill. Drainage cannot be redirected onto neighboring land, and grading on steep slopes or eroding marine bluffs triggers geotechnical review under the WCC 16.16 critical areas rules.
1 cities in Whatcom County have their own environmental rules rules. Each link goes to that city's dedicated page with code citations.
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Whatcom County Ordinance Hub →