Hutto, TX Environmental Rules: Erosion Control (2026)

Section 18.03.054(a)(4) requires that erosion control measures such as a silt fence, along with advance warning signs, markers, cones and barricades, be in place before any right-of-way work begins, and that barricades, warning signs and lights be placed wherever a pavement cut, excavation, or stockpiled soil creates a hazard. Subsection (a)(7) makes the permittee responsible for stormwater management erosion control that complies with city, state and federal guidelines, specifically requiring silt fencing around any excavation left overnight, silt fencing in erosion-prone areas until vegetation is reestablished, barricade fencing around open holes, and wire-backed silt fencing in high-erosion areas.

On the back end, section 18.03.006(b)(2)(D) separately makes it an offense to fail to stabilize a disturbed area from erosion within 14 days after construction is completed, unless the city approves an alternative timeframe. Section 18.03.053(c)(21) folds in the stormwater side: where a permit involves an open-cut stream crossing, the permittee must submit two sets of a Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP) to the city, and in every other case must implement erosion control measures in accordance with the code's Stormwater Pollution Control article as well as other Hutto ordinances and state or federal law.

Failing any of these requirements exposes the permittee to the article's general enforcement scheme: a class C misdemeanor under section 18.03.006(a), each day of the violation a separate offense, a fine up to $500.00 (or up to $2,000.00 if a culpable mental state is alleged), plus civil remedies and denial of future right-of-way permits until the city's costs are reimbursed and the violation corrected.