Owensboro, KY Environmental Rules: Boat Dock Permits (2026)

Zoning Ordinance Section 18-6 establishes the General Flood Plain Overlay District, split into the Floodfringe District (FF) outside the floodway and the Floodway District (FW) covering the floodway itself. Section 18-6(b)(1) limits principal and accessory uses in the FW District to low-damage-potential activities that do not obstruct flood flows, such as farming or parking areas. Section 18-6(b)(2)(f) then lists marinas, boat rentals, docks, piers, wharves, and other functionally dependent facilities as conditional uses in the Floodway District, meaning they are not permitted by right. Under Section 18-6(b)(2)'s lead-in language, any such conditional use may involve structures, fill, or storage of equipment or materials only if it complies with the flood-hazard-reduction requirements of Section 18-5(b)(4), which demands certification by a licensed professional engineer showing the encroachment will not raise flood levels during a base flood discharge, and it must follow the conditional use permit procedures in Section 18-4(b)(3), which route approval through the Owensboro Metropolitan Board of Adjustment (OMBA).

The ordinance defines 'functionally dependent use facility' as one that cannot serve its purpose unless located close to water, limited to docking or port facilities for loading and unloading cargo or passengers, shipbuilding, ship repair, or seafood processing, and expressly excluding long-term storage, manufacture, sales or service facilities. Other permits from the Army Corps of Engineers or the Kentucky Division of Water must also be secured before the OMBA issues the conditional use permit under Section 18-4(b)(3)(c).