Gordon County, GA Environmental Rules: Erosion Control (2026)
Key Facts
- Permit issued by
- Building Inspection Department of Gordon County
- Plan review deadline
- 35 days by the Soil and Water Conservation District
- Stream buffers
- 25 feet on state waters, 50 feet on trout streams
- Maximum bond
- $3,000 per acre
- Civil penalty
- Up to $2,500 per day
- Appeal hearing
- Gordon County Commission within 20 days
Summary
Land-disturbing activity in unincorporated Gordon County, Georgia needs a permit from the Building Inspection Department, backed by an erosion, sedimentation and pollution control plan. The Unified Land Development Code sets a 25-foot stream buffer, 50 feet on trout streams, and civil penalties up to $2,500 per day.
9.To the extent necessary, sediment in run-off water must be trapped by the use of debris basins, sediment basins, silt traps, or similar measures until the disturbed area is stabilized. ... 15.Except as provided in paragraph (16) and (17) of this subsection, there is established a twenty-five-foot buffer along the banks of all state waters, as measured horizontally from the point where vegetation has been wrested by normal stream flow or wave action ... 1.No person shall conduct any land-disturbing activity within the jurisdictional boundaries of Gordon County without first obtaining a permit from the Building Inspection Department of Gordon County, Georgia to perform such activity ... D.Monetary penalties.1.Any person who violates any provisions of this ordinance, or any permit condition or limitation established pursuant to this ordinance, or who negligently or intentionally fails or refuses to comply with any final or emergency order of the director issued as provided in this ordinance shall be liable for a civil penalty not to exceed two thousand five hundred dollars ($2,500.00) per day.
Full Breakdown
Section 3.06 of the Unified Land Development Code is the Gordon County Soil Erosion, Sedimentation and Pollution Control Ordinance, and it covers any land-disturbing activity in unincorporated Gordon County. No one can clear, grade, excavate, or fill without first getting a permit from the Building Inspection Department of Gordon County, Georgia, and giving the department a copy of any notice of intent filed with the state Environmental Protection Division. The application needs an erosion, sedimentation and pollution control plan, at least three copies unless the Gordon County Building Inspector directs otherwise, with maps signed and sealed by a certified design professional.
The Gordon County Soil and Water Conservation District reviews the plan and has 35 days to act. The county issues or denies the permit within 45 days of a completed application, and a separate permit is required for each phase. The county can require a bond up to $3,000 per acre, and a state fee of up to $80 per acre applies to each acre of disturbance.
Section 3.06.04 sets the working rules. Sediment in runoff must be trapped with debris basins, sediment basins, silt traps, or similar measures until the disturbed area is stabilized. Exposed soil gets stabilized as quickly as practicable, with temporary vegetation or mulching on exposed critical areas. A 25-foot buffer stays undisturbed along the banks of state waters, and a 50-foot buffer protects trout streams. A discharge that raises receiving water turbidity by more than 25 nephelometric turbidity units (10 for trout waters) is a separate violation for each day.
Exemptions include agricultural operations, forestry, surface mining, and projects disturbing less than one acre, but the under-one-acre exemption does not cover work inside a larger plan of development or within 200 feet of state waters. A permit holder whose permit is suspended or revoked gets a hearing before the Gordon County Commission if written notice of appeal arrives within 20 days, and then can appeal de novo to the Superior Court of Gordon County.
Violations & Fines
Starting without a permit puts a business license, work permit, or other authorization at risk of revocation. The first two violations draw a written warning and five days to correct, then a stop-work order. A third violation, an imminent threat to state waters, or work without a permit draws an immediate stop-work order. Anyone who violates the ordinance faces a civil penalty of up to $2,500 per day, each day is a separate violation, and the county can forfeit the bond.
Frequently Asked Questions
When do I need an erosion control permit in unincorporated Gordon County?
How wide is the stream buffer during construction?
What happens if my site keeps sending sediment into a creek?
How do I contest a permit suspension or revocation?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Gordon County
Compare Gordon County to another location·View the Georgia environmental rules overview
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