Merced County, CA Environmental Rules: Boat Dock Permits (2026)

Table 2-1 (Agricultural Zone Allowed Uses and Permit Requirements) lists 'Marina, Boat Dock, or Launch' under the Educational, Institutional, Public Assembly, and Recreational use category with an 'A' designation, cross-referenced to Section 18.10.040(H), meaning the baseline approval is an Administrative Permit under Chapter 18.114 rather than a by-right use. Section 18.10.040(H) itself reads in full: 'Marinas, Boat Docks, Launches. A Conditional Use Permit may be required at the discretion of the director,' which gives county planning staff the authority to escalate any specific marina or dock proposal from the table's baseline Administrative Permit to a full Conditional Use Permit under Chapter 18.116, with the accompanying public hearing and discretionary findings, whenever the director judges the individual project warrants that heavier review.

This structure applies the same table-wide rules as every other agricultural-zone use: Table 2-1's footnote confirms that any listed use involving construction, such as building a new dock structure, may separately require a Zoning Clearance under Chapter 18.128 or Site Plan and Design Review under Chapter 18.122 on top of whichever land use permit applies. No provision in the Agricultural Zone table allows a marina, boat dock, or launch by right; every dock proposal on agriculturally zoned land in the unincorporated county starts at Administrative Permit review and can be pushed to a Conditional Use Permit at the director's discretion.