Colorado Springs, CO Environmental Rules: Erosion Control (2026)

Section 7.4.601B sets baseline standards for every project: grading must conform to applicable safety requirements, an erosion control blanket is required on all graded slopes of 3:1 or steeper, and a slope stability analysis (or approved alternative) is required for permanent slopes graded steeper than 2.5:1. Subsection C lists the triggers that require a GEC Permit or Associate GEC Permit, disturbing one acre or more, being part of a larger common plan that disturbs an acre or more, grading or constructing within an open drainage channel, constructing or substantially modifying a permanent control measure, or any site the Stormwater Enterprise Manager deems necessary.

Before that work starts, the owner must obtain an approved GEC Plan, an approved City Stormwater Management Plan, and pass an initial inspection; a Permanent Control Management (PCM) Plan, sealed by a Colorado-licensed professional engineer, must also be approved before the final construction phase, and the Stormwater Enterprise Manager can issue a stop-work order if that final phase starts without it (7.4.601C3). Properties in the Hillside Overlay (HS-O) or Streamside Overlay (SS-O) districts need an additional Hillside or Streamside Development Plan approved under §§7.2.610/7.2.603 and 7.5.515 before any of the listed activity can occur (7.4.601C5–6).

The Stormwater Enterprise Manager or City Engineer may enter property at reasonable times to inspect grading and erosion control operations, and can seek a Municipal Court warrant if an owner refuses entry (7.4.603A–B). A site can be declared a public nuisance if fill, excavation or grading is damaging life, limb or property, or grading is proceeding without a required GEC Permit (7.4.602A).