Stearns County, MN Environmental Rules: Boat Dock Permits (2026)

C of the Land Use and Zoning Ordinance, a lot intended for common docking facilities or shared access to public waters is not a permitted use in any Stearns County zoning district on its own; it can only be created as a controlled access lot approved through a residential subdivision's Subdivision Agreement (the provision does not apply to DNR public accesses). Once approved, the lot is restricted to the lot owners of that subdivision and to low-impact uses: walking trails, shore fishing and picnic areas.

The ordinance permits exactly one dock or fishing pier on the lot and flatly prohibits mooring of watercraft there. Any structure on the lot is capped at 150 square feet. The lot itself must meet the width and size standards for a residential lot, and it must be jointly owned by all purchasers of lots in the subdivision, or by nonriparian lot owners holding riparian access rights. Covenants recorded against the lot must spell out which owners may use it, cap the number of vehicles that can park there, and require that parking areas, storage buildings and other facilities be screened from the public water by vegetation or topography under summer, leaf-on conditions.

Non-motorized watercraft launching and other low-conflict recreation such as swimming, sunbathing or picnicking are allowed; the covenants must centralize all common facilities to minimize topographic and vegetation disturbance. 6 of the ordinance as the administering Department, reviews subdivision plats and shoreland permits for compliance with these dock and access limits before a controlled access lot can be recorded.