Eugene, OR Environmental Rules: Erosion Control (2026)
Key Facts
- Permit triggers
- 1+ acre, sensitive area, or 5,000+ cu ft
- Small-project waiver
- Under 500 sq ft or 20 cu yd
- Annual permit expiry
- December 31 each year
- Max fine
- $2,500 per day, EC 6.990(10)
- Appeal path
- EC 2.021 within prescribed time
Summary
Eugene requires an erosion prevention permit before construction that disturbs an acre or more, sits in a sensitive area, or moves more than 5,000 cubic feet of material, with sediment and construction-material discharges into the stormwater system barred citywide under EC 6.625-6.645.
(a) Permit required. Except as otherwise provided in subsection (3) below, no person shall commence any construction activity without first obtaining from the city one of the erosion prevention permits listed in subparagraph (b) if the construction activity: 1. Disturbs one or more acres of land by one or more phases of development, and the disturbance is located on the same parcel of land or on contiguous parcels of land under the same ownership; 2. Is located in a sensitive area. The criteria for classifying sites, and the classification of such sites as sensitive areas shall be established in administrative rules issued by the city manager; or 3. Disturbs more than 5,000 cubic feet of material during one or more phases of development.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 20739, passed June 8, 2026).
Full Breakdown
340, into the city's stormwater system, to protect adjacent properties, water quality and the capacity of the stormwater system. 630 applies the rules to any construction activity involving land disturbance, structural development or demolition, new impervious surfaces, or dewatering, with narrow exemptions for emergency utility or public-safety work. 635 requires an erosion prevention permit, either an individual permit for a specific project or an annual permit for minor recurring work, whenever a project disturbs one or more acres, sits in a city-mapped sensitive area, or disturbs more than 5,000 cubic feet of material; smaller projects disturbing under 500 square feet or moving less than 20 cubic yards are waived from the permit requirement but not from the underlying erosion-control standards.
An individual permit requires a construction site management plan, prepared by a certified professional unless the project is a single-family home or duplex, identifying water quality impacts and the control measures to be used; annual permits instead require a narrative description of work and practices and expire every December 31. 021.
Violations & Fines
Under EC 6.640 and EC 6.990(10), violating the erosion prevention rules, a permit, or its conditions can bring a corrective memorandum, an administrative compliance order, a stop work order, an administrative civil penalty under EC 2.018, and a municipal court citation carrying a fine of up to $2,500 per day per violation; failing to comply with a stop work or compliance order is itself a separate violation, and each day a violation continues counts separately.
Frequently Asked Questions
When does a Eugene construction project need an erosion prevention permit?
Is my small home project exempt from Eugene's erosion rules?
What is the penalty for an erosion control violation in Eugene?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Eugene
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