Franklin County, NC Environmental Rules: Erosion Control (2026)

The Unified Development Code (Appendix A), Section 9.3.4(E)(8), Erosion Control, sets the baseline rule for grading, clearing and other land-disturbing activity in unincorporated Franklin County. Any activity disturbing one acre (43,560 square feet) or more, whether alone or as part of a larger common plan of development, must first obtain an erosion and sedimentation control plan approved by the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (NCDEQ) under State Stormwater General Permit NCG010000; NCDEQ must issue a Letter of Approval before the County will approve the plan.

For land disturbance below that one-acre threshold that does not require an NCDEQ permit, Franklin County imposes its own minimum: silt fence must be installed on the low side of the lot, along with whatever additional erosion and sediment control measures are needed to keep sediment on site, and, at the discretion of the County, tree protection fencing around the remaining perimeter. If a project's apparent disturbance later turns out to exceed one-half acre, the County can require an as-built survey by a professional land surveyor, and any parcel found to exceed one-half acre disturbance 'after-the-fact' must come into compliance with the applicable sections of the ordinance.

The Franklin County Planning and Inspections Department, acting through the Stormwater Administrator, reviews these plans alongside the Tar-Pamlico and Falls Lake watershed nutrient-loading requirements that apply to the same disturbed sites. Any violation of these Article 9 provisions is enforced under the UDO's general Article 3 Enforcement procedures.