Dearborn, MI Environmental Rules: Erosion Control (2026)
Key Facts
- Permit trigger
- 1+ acre or within 500 ft of water
- Permit name
- SESC permit
- Issued by
- City building official
- Bond required
- Yes, covers full erosion-control cost
- Governing law
- Code §§ 5-186–5-202, implements state Part 91
Summary
Dearborn requires an SESC permit from the building official for any earth change of one acre or more, or within 500 feet of a lake or stream, under the city's Soil Erosion Control division.
Prior to undertaking an earth change in the city involving one or more acres of land, or within 500 feet of the water's edge of a lake or stream, an erosion and sedimentation control permit shall be obtained from the building official. Request for a permit shall be initiated by submitting an application and SESC plan in accordance with rule 1703 promulgated under part 91.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-07: Code: Updated through: July 22, 2026 | Zoning: Updated through: July 22, 2026).
Full Breakdown
Dearborn's Soil Erosion Control division, Code of Ordinances §§ 5-186: 5-202, implements Part 91 of Michigan's Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act at the local level, enforced by the building official within the Department of Economic and Community Development. Under § 5-188, anyone undertaking an earth change of one acre or more, or within 500 feet of a lake or stream's edge, must obtain an SESC permit before grading begins, backed by a bond covering the estimated cost of erosion controls. Permittees must install temporary erosion measures immediately and complete permanent controls within five days of final grading; grading under one acre and more than 500 feet from water is exempt from the permit but must still meet the division's erosion-control standards.
Violations & Fines
Undertaking a covered earth change without an SESC permit and bond, or letting sediment leave the site during grading, violates the division; the building official can order work stopped and corrective erosion controls installed at the owner's expense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to grade less than an acre in Dearborn?
Who enforces Dearborn's erosion control rules?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Dearborn
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Erosion Control in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Wayne County handle erosion control.