Yakima County, WA Environmental Rules: Boat Dock Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Design standard
- Minimum size necessary for the use
- Multi-unit rule
- Joint-use dock required for 2+ dwellings
- Free-flowing streams/rivers
- Docks prohibited
- Permit exemption cap
- $10,000 fair market value
- Re-trigger threshold
- $2,500 added work within 5 years
- Appeal window
- 21 days to Shoreline Hearings Board
Summary
Docks and piers within Yakima County's shoreline jurisdiction must be the minimum size needed for the use, and multi-unit residential development must share a joint-use dock rather than build one per unit, under Yakima County Code § 16D.06.31. Docks are banned outright on the county's free-flowing streams and rivers.
16D.06.31. Piers and Docks. The following provisions apply to any development, construction, or use of land for piers and docks within shoreline jurisdiction. (1) Pier and dock construction shall be the minimum size necessary to meet the needs of the use. (2) New pier or dock construction, excluding docks accessory to single-family residences must demonstrate that a specific need exists to support the intended water-dependent or public access use. (3) New residential development of two or more dwellings must provide joint use or community dock facilities, when feasible, rather than allow individual docks for each residence. (4) Docks, piers, and any other over-water structures for similar purpose, are prohibited in free-flowing streams and rivers in Yakima County. Bridge and trestle piers, flow measuring gauges, and existing irrigation diversion facilities are excluded from the prohibition in this section.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4871853; v6 updated 2026-04-21; through 04-21-2026).
Full Breakdown
31, part of the county's Shoreline Master Program adopted under Ordinance 14-2007, governs pier and dock construction anywhere within shoreline jurisdiction. Construction must be the minimum size necessary to meet the needs of the use, and any new pier or dock that is not accessory to a single-family residence must demonstrate a specific need to support a water-dependent or public-access use. Where a new residential development has two or more dwellings, the developer must provide a joint-use or community dock rather than individual docks for each unit, when feasible.
31(4) flatly prohibits docks, piers and similar over-water structures on free-flowing streams and rivers in Yakima County, carving out only bridge and trestle piers, flow-measuring gauges, and existing irrigation diversion facilities. 05. A substantial development permit is filed with the Washington Department of Ecology, and a permit decision can be appealed to the Shoreline Hearings Board within 21 days of filing under WAC 173-27-190.
Violations & Fines
Building a dock without a required substantial development permit, exceeding the minimum-size or joint-use standards, or placing any dock on a free-flowing stream or river violates the Shoreline Master Program and is enforced as a project-permit violation under YCC Chapter 16B.11. Penalties include a misdemeanor charge carrying up to a $1,000 fine or 90 days in jail under § 16B.11.050, a possible civil infraction under Chapter 7.80 RCW, and a public nuisance declaration that can lead to a removal order.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to build a boat dock in Yakima County?
Can I build a private dock on any river in Yakima County?
If several homes share a shoreline lot, can each get its own dock?
What if I add onto an exempt dock later?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Yakima County
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