Fort Wayne, IN Environmental Rules: Erosion Control (2026)
Key Facts
- Trigger threshold
- 1 acre or more of land disturbance
- Enforcing agency
- Dept. of Stormwater Management (DSM)
- Required plan
- Approved SWP3 before disturbance begins
- Max civil penalty
- $2,500 per violation, per day
Summary
Fort Wayne requires a land disturbance permit and an approved stormwater pollution prevention plan before any grading, clearing, or excavation of one acre or more inside the city's Stormwater Management District.
It shall be required that a Notice of Intent (NOI) be submitted to the Indiana Department of Environmental Management and to the DSM and that a Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan (SWP3) be submitted and approved by the DSM for any project located within the Fort Wayne Stormwater Management District that includes clearing, grading, excavation, filling and other land disturbing activities resulting in the following: (1) The disturbance of one acre or more of total land area as determined in § 53.13.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-60: Supplement contains: Local legislation current through Ord. G-19-26, passed 7-14-26, and Res. 83-19, passed 12-17-19 State legislation current through Legislative Service, 2025 Acts, Pamphlet No. 3).
Full Breakdown
Under City Code § 53.11, any project inside the Fort Wayne Stormwater Management District that clears, grades, excavates, or fills one acre or more of land, or is part of a larger common plan of development reaching one acre, must have a Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan (SWP3) approved by the Department of Stormwater Management before land disturbance begins, plus a Notice of Intent filed with IDEM. The project site owner must then obtain a land disturbance permit under § 53.14 and follow the erosion and sediment control standards in § 53.15 throughout construction.
Violations & Fines
Violations draw a Notice of Violation, a stop-work order, and suspension of stormwater system access; civil penalties reach $2,500 per violation per day, with each day a separate offense (§ 53.70).
Frequently Asked Questions
Does every construction site need this permit?
Who reviews and approves the plan?
Sources & Official References
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