Lancaster County, NE Environmental Rules: Erosion Control (2026)

019 governs excavation, defined as removing clay, soil, limestone, sandstone, sand or gravel, plus associated stone milling, from a project site over one acre. It is allowed only by special permit in the AG and AGR districts, reviewed by the Planning Commission and, on appeal, the County Board. Applicants must submit a site plan, grading map, and a groundwater hydrologist's report whenever the operation sits within 1,000 feet of a private well, 2,000 feet of a community well, or is designed to leave a non-draining excavated hole.

Once approved, the permit requires erosion controls, including retention and sediment basins, built to state and federal standards and county erosion and sediment control regulations, so runoff character onto adjacent land does not change. No more than 20 acres may be open for operations at one time, and topsoil must be stockpiled for redistribution when work finishes. Within nine months of completing excavation on any portion of the site, cuts must be regraded to a slope flatter than three-to-one, soils restored and stabilized, and the land seeded and sodded to stop erosion and siltation.

Dust must be controlled to meet Lincoln-Lancaster County Air Pollution Control Program regulations, and operating hours are limited to daylight, Monday through Saturday. A posted 32-square-foot sign must list the special permit number and contact information for the landowner, operator and the Building and Safety Department.