Charlotte, NC Environmental Rules: Erosion Control (2026)

Under Unified Development Ordinance Article 28, all land-disturbing activity within Charlotte's corporate limits and extraterritorial jurisdiction must control accelerated erosion and sedimentation (Section 28.1). No person may initiate a land-disturbing activity that uncovers one acre or more, or a borrow/waste area of one acre or greater, without an approved erosion and sedimentation control plan on the job site (Section 28.3.A.2). Plans go to the Stormwater Administrator and must meet the standards in Sections 28.3 and 28.4.

Graded slopes and fills must be stable and, within 21 calendar days of completing any grading phase, planted or otherwise given temporary or permanent groundcover sufficient to restrain erosion (Section 28.3.C.2). Once construction finishes, permanent groundcover is required within 21 calendar days, and any site inactive for 21 days or longer needs temporary groundcover (Section 28.3.C.4). Fill material must meet 15A NCAC 13B .0562 standards. Operators disturbing an acre or more must contact the Stormwater Administrator at least 48 hours before starting, to arrange a pre-construction conference (Section 28.3.C.6). Erosion controls must be inspected at least once a week and within 24 hours of any storm exceeding one inch of rain in 24 hours, with inspection records kept until six months after grading permit termination (Section 28.3.C.7). Controls must be designed to handle the calculated peak runoff of a 10-year storm, calculated using USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service procedures or the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Storm Water Services Design Manual (Section 28.3.D.1). A sedimentation control buffer along any lake or watercourse must confine visible siltation within the 25% of the buffer nearest the disturbed area (Section 28.3.C.8).

Agricultural production, forestry conducted under state Forest Practice Guidelines, activities permitted under the Mining Act of 1971, and emergency life-safety work are exempt (Section 28.2.B). Where this article conflicts with other federal, state, or local rules, the more restrictive standard controls (Section 28.3.A.5).