Cameron County, TX Environmental Rules: Erosion Control (2026)
Key Facts
- Minimum requirement
- Erosion Control Plan for all sites
- 1+ acre disturbed
- Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan required
- 10+ acres disturbed
- Sediment basin required
- 5+ acres disturbed
- Copies of state construction-site permits required
- Governing order
- County Order No. 201105032
Summary
Any site development permit in unincorporated Cameron County requires an erosion control plan at minimum, and projects disturbing an acre or more must file a Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan. Disturbing 10 acres or more triggers a sediment basin requirement, and 5 acres or more requires copies of state permits.
III. Erosion Control Requirements ORDER NO 201105032 Provide erosion control requirements. This should include, but is not limited to the following items: 1. Site development Permit - Erosion Control Plan (minimal requirement for all sites) 2. ... Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan (1 acre or more, follow template below.) ... Sediment Basin for disturbance of 10 acres or more ... Copies of permits (5 acres or more) Primary and Secondary Large Construction Site Notices, Copy of NOI(s) for Primary and Secondary Operators, Signed "Delegation of Authority", if applicable.
Full Breakdown
Appendix C of the county's Flood Damage Prevention and Building Regulations, tied to County Order No. 201105032, lays out the erosion control package every site development permit application has to include. At a minimum, every site needs a Site Development Permit Erosion Control Plan, covering a natural resources map at a scale no smaller than 1 inch to 100 feet identifying soils, forest cover and protected resources, a construction timeline showing when clearing starts and how long cleared ground stays exposed, the specific erosion and sediment control measures used through every phase of construction and after the site is finished, seeding mixtures and mulching methods for temporary and permanent vegetative cover, and who maintains the control facilities once installed.
Projects disturbing one acre or more step up to a full Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan following the state's Construction General Permit template, describing the construction activity, potential pollutants, drainage patterns, nearby surface waters, and the best management practices used to keep runoff clean. Disturbing 10 acres or more adds a sediment basin requirement, and any project disturbing 5 acres or more has to submit copies of its state permits, including the primary and secondary large-construction-site notices and the Notice of Intent for each operator, before the county will sign off.
Violations & Fines
Cameron County's checklist ties the erosion control plan, and where applicable the Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan and sediment basin, directly to the site development permit under Order No. 201105032, so a project that clears or grades land without the required plan on file has not met its permit conditions. That failure exposes the developer to the same permit-violation enforcement the county applies countywide, including fines under Article 4, Section J.5 and contempt of the Commissioners Court under Section K.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Cameron County require an erosion control plan for site development?
When does a Cameron County project need a full Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan?
What triggers a sediment basin requirement in unincorporated Cameron County?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Cameron County
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