Apple Valley, MN Environmental Rules: Erosion Control (2026)

Under Apple Valley Code of Ordinances § 152.15, a natural resources management permit (NRMP) is required before land-disturbing activity for new development, redevelopment or new building construction in any zoning district, for any building-permit project that expands a building or impervious surface, for work that affects slopes, trees or water bodies, and for 0.2 or more acres of new or reconstructed impervious surface. Section 152.02 defines land-disturbing activity to include moving more than 20 cubic yards of soil, disturbing 3,500 square feet or more of soil, or losing 10% or more of the significant trees on the land. No permit issues until the city approves the plan, and the application goes in at least 15 business days before the city considers it. City staff review applications administratively unless the project warrants City Council review.

The SWPPP under § 152.16(A)(3) must delineate the graded areas and identify the controls that limit erosion and sedimentation during the project, the permanent erosion control measures with a completion schedule, soil stockpile locations, illicit discharge prevention, and protection for water bodies and buffer zones. The printed BMP list is quoted above: perimeter sediment control, temporary erosion control, storm drain inlet protection, a rock construction entrance, tree drip line protection, removal of dirt from abutting roadways and sidewalks, and concrete washout. Section 152.55(D) adds that no land-disturbing activity starts without first properly installing BMPs, unless the city grants written permission. Topographic data on the plan must show contours at vertical intervals of not more than two feet.

A project disturbing one or more acres, or less than one acre within a common plan of development that will reach one acre, also needs an NPDES construction permit from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, and the contractor retains copies of all inspections onsite. No construction or grading equipment operates outside Monday through Friday 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. and Saturday through Sunday 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and none on legal holidays. A site counts as stabilized when uniform perennial vegetation reaches a density of at least 70% of its expected final growth. The permit expires one year after issuance if significant progress is not made, but the applicant stays bound to restore the land grade and prevent erosion and illicit discharge.