Spokane County, WA Environmental Rules: Boat Dock Permits (2026)

030 governs allowable uses inside wetlands, fish and wildlife habitat areas, geologically hazardous areas, and their required buffers under the county's Critical Areas Ordinance, which implements the state Growth Management Act. 030A sets three categories: 'P' for uses permitted without county review, 'L' for limited uses that must meet chapter standards and agency review, and 'SP' for uses that need a state permit instead. Floating docks, boat mooring, and buoys carry a 'P' rating across all three critical-area types, wetlands and buffers, fish and wildlife habitats, and geo-hazard areas, so the county Building and Planning Department does not require a critical areas permit or mitigation plan before one goes in.

20 review layer. B states this chapter can require review or a permit in addition to those otherwise required by county ordinances, citing a hydraulic project approval from the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife as an example, and that the chapter applies alongside the county flood ordinance and the Shoreline Master Program for the county. A dock built as a fixed structure also meets the SCC Title 3 flood damage protection definition of 'works' (bulkhead, fixed dock, wharf, pile, and similar improvements attached to the realty), which triggers separate floodplain development review in a mapped special flood hazard area.

Practically, a homeowner on the Spokane River or a county lake skips the wetlands and habitat permit track for a floating dock or mooring buoy, but still has to confirm shoreline permit status with Building and Planning and, for anything fixed to the bed or bank, a floodplain determination. 030.