El Paso County, CO Environmental Rules: Coastal Development (2026)

As a landlocked jurisdiction in the Rocky Mountain foothills, El Paso County has no coastal development regulations. Waterway protections instead focus on riparian buffers along Fountain Creek (the major drainage running Colorado Springs south to the Arkansas River at Pueblo), Monument Creek, Bear Creek, Cheyenne Creek, Jimmy Camp Creek, and numerous mountain tributaries. El Paso County LDC Chapter 5 establishes riparian setbacks — typically 50 ft from ordinary high water mark for perennial streams, 25 ft for ephemeral drainages. Colorado Springs Drainage Criteria Manual adds 100-ft buffer for Fountain Creek Greenway and protected reaches. Wetland impacts (fill, dredge, alteration) require Section 404 permits from US Army Corps of Engineers Albuquerque District — Nationwide Permits for minor impacts, Individual Permits for larger projects. Waters of the US jurisdictional determinations required per Sackett v. EPA (2023) precedent. FEMA 100-year floodplain (Flood Insurance Rate Map) restricts development in A, AE, and AO zones. Colorado Springs participates in the Community Rating System (CRS) Class 6 — residents earn 20% flood insurance discount. Substantial-improvement rule triggers elevation requirements if improvements exceed 50% of structure value. Post-Waldo Canyon Fire, Fountain Creek flooding risk increased; July 2013 flash flood devastated Manitou Springs. Streambank stabilization projects require 404 plus CDPHE 401 water-quality certification.