Arlington County, VA Environmental Rules: Boat Dock Permits (2026)

Chapter 61, the Chesapeake Bay Preservation Ordinance, defines a "water-dependent facility" in § 61-3 to include, among other uses, "marinas and other boat docking structures," alongside ports, treatment-plant intake and outfall structures, and water-oriented recreation. Because Resource Protection Areas (RPAs) along the Potomac shoreline and its tributaries otherwise bar land disturbance, § 61-7(A) carves out an exception: land development in an RPA "may be allowed only when permitted by the Director" and only if it is water-dependent, redevelopment, within a designated intensely developed area, a qualifying road or driveway crossing, or a flood-control or stormwater facility.

For a new or expanded water-dependent facility such as a boat dock, § 61-7(A)(1) requires the project to not conflict with the County's comprehensive plan, to meet the performance standards of § 61-10, to keep any nonwater-dependent component outside the RPA, and to reach the water via "the minimum disturbance necessary," with a single point of access where practicable. Every such project must also go through the Water Quality Impact Assessment process under § 61-12: a minor WQIA covers disturbance of up to 5,000 square feet in the landward 50 feet of the RPA buffer, while larger or more sensitive proposals trigger a major assessment, both administered by the Director of the Department of Environmental Services, who charges fees under the County's adopted Permit and Plan Review Fee Schedule per § 61-4.

The WQIA must demonstrate a net improvement in RPA buffer vegetation and riparian habitat, not merely compliance with the separate Chapter 60 Erosion and Stormwater Management Ordinance.