Harrison County enforces strict coastal development rules under MS Coastal Wetlands Protection Act §49-27. Mississippi DMR permits required for any work waterward of mean high water. Katrina rebuilding codes set elevated construction standards Gulf-wide.
Harrison County is fully within the Mississippi coastal zone and subject to some of the strictest development rules in the state. The Mississippi Coastal Wetlands Protection Act (MS Code §49-27) gives the Department of Marine Resources (DMR) jurisdiction over all tidal wetlands, coastal marshes, and areas waterward of the mean high water line. Any dredging, filling, pier, bulkhead, seawall, or construction touching coastal waters requires a DMR permit, often with concurrent Army Corps of Engineers §404 review. Setbacks from the Gulf shoreline and Mississippi Sound are defined by the Coastal Preserves Program and individual municipal codes. Post-Katrina, the Mississippi International Residential Code adopted mandatory elevation above Advisory Base Flood Elevation (ABFE) for new coastal construction. Public beach access from US-90 is protected under state trust doctrine. Biloxi's casinos along the waterfront required special legislative authority post-Katrina to rebuild landside.
Unpermitted coastal filling: DMR fines $1,000-$25,000/day + restoration order under §49-27-69. Illegal seawall or pier: removal at owner expense + civil penalties. Destruction of coastal marsh: federal and state enforcement combined.
Biloxi, MS
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Biloxi, MS
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Biloxi, MS
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Biloxi, MS
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Biloxi, MS
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Biloxi, MS
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See how Biloxi's coastal development rules stack up against other locations.
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