Fond du Lac County, WI Environmental Rules: Erosion Control (2026)

County Code Chapter 27, Article I regulates soil erosion on active construction sites in unincorporated Fond du Lac County. Adopted under Wis. 07, the ordinance designates the Fond du Lac County Land and Water Conservation Department as the administering authority (Sec. 27-1). Sec. 27-4 sets the trigger: a permit is required for any construction site with 4,000 square feet or more of land-disturbing activity, while smaller sites must still meet the baseline best-management-practice standards in Sec. 27-7(1); the administering authority can also require a permit on a smaller site if needed to protect water quality.

Exemptions include one- and two-family homes disturbing less than an acre outside a common development plan (regulated instead under Wis. Admin. 125), agricultural practice and facility areas, silviculture, most transportation facilities, and routine maintenance disturbing less than five acres. Permit applicants must submit an erosion and sediment control plan meeting Sec. 27-9 and pay the fee set by the County Land Conservation Committee (Sec. 27-10); the department has 20 business days to approve or deny a complete application, and failure to respond within that window is deemed approval.

Permitted sites over one acre must keep sediment discharge to five tons per acre per year, notify the department within 48 hours of starting work, and inspect the site weekly and after every half-inch rain event, filing written reports. The department can require a bond or letter of credit and may post a stop-work order or revoke the permit for noncompliance. Appeals go to the County Board of Adjustment, which charges a $500 application fee (Sec. 27-13).