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Jackson County, MS Environmental Rules: Erosion Control (2026)

Some Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Key Facts

Governing law
Zoning Ordinance Article 11
Enforcing agency
Jackson County Permits Office
0-0.9 acre disturbed
No permit/SWPPP unless larger plan
1-5 acres disturbed
County permit, NOI and SWPPP required
Over 5 acres
MDEQ permit required, copy to county
Design storm standard
25-year design storm frequency

Summary

Jackson County requires erosion and sediment control measures on every subdivision, site plan and building permit in the unincorporated county. No final plat, construction plan, site plan or building permit is approved unless it includes temporary and permanent controls that keep silt out of downstream drainage ways.

These county ordinances apply to unincorporated areas of Jackson County. Incorporated cities within the county may have their own rules that take precedence over county-level regulations.

No final subdivision plat, subdivision construction plan, site plan or building permit shall be approved by the County unless the plans for the proposed development include temporary and permanent erosion and sedimentation control measures such that siltation of downstream drainage ways are minimized. The above requirement shall be accomplished through a combination of the following practices: a. installation of structural BMPs before and during construction in order to reduce on-site soil erosion and provide temporary capture of sediment; b. temporary and/or permanent revegetation of bare ground in order to stabilize disturbed soil at the earliest practicable date; c. construction of on-site Stormwater detention facilities by the landowner or developer in a manner such that detention ponds function as temporary sedimentation basins until permanent revegetation of the subject tract is accomplished; d. Control of construction debris, litter and sanitary wastes through appropriate and acceptable means; and e. Other measures which may be necessary to control erosion and sedimentation on a site-by-site basis.

View official code

Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: the cited page had not changed since it was quoted.

Full Breakdown

The Jackson County Zoning Ordinance regulates erosion and sedimentation under Article 11, Stormwater Runoff, Illicit Discharges, and Illegal Connections. 1 bars any landowner from permitting soil, sand or gravel to erode off a parcel onto adjoining property, a public street, a drainage channel or the County Drainage System, covering both pre-construction and post-construction conditions. 9 acre needs no permit or SWPPP unless it is part of a larger common plan of development or sale, 1 to 5 acres requires a county permit with a Notice of Intent and SWPPP filed with the County Permits Office, and anything above 5 acres requires an MDEQ permit with the approved MDEQ paperwork copied to the county.

3 folds in NPDES construction and industrial stormwater permits, including a ban on dumping excess cement or washing out cement trucks into the county drainage system, and requires all residential and commercial construction to design sediment and erosion control measures for a 25-year storm frequency, with post-construction drainage design following the Mississippi Department of Transportation Roadway Design Manual, Chapter 7. 3 makes final plat, construction plan, site plan and building permit approval by the county conditional on temporary and permanent erosion and sedimentation controls, achieved through structural best management practices installed before and during construction, temporary or permanent revegetation of bare ground, on-site stormwater detention doubling as temporary sedimentation basins, and control of construction debris, litter and sanitary waste.

Violations & Fines

The Jackson County Planning Department and Permits Office withhold final plat, site plan and building permit approval until an adequate drainage report, construction plans and erosion control measures are on file; work proceeding without the required permit or SWPPP, or a discharge that damages adjoining property or the county drainage system, is itself the code violation under Section 11.1 and Section 11.3.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a permit to clear less than an acre in Jackson County?
Not usually. Section 11.2 exempts land disturbance under 0.9 acre from a stormwater permit or SWPPP, unless the property is part of a larger common plan of development or sale, in which case the smaller-tract exemption does not apply and a permit is still required.
What triggers an MDEQ permit instead of a county permit?
Disturbing more than 5 acres requires a Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality permit and SWPPP under Section 11.2, and the permitted party must submit copies of the approved MDEQ permit to Jackson County before work proceeds.
Can the county hold up my building permit over erosion control?
Yes. Section 11.3's erosion and sediment control standards make final plat, site plan and building permit approval conditional on temporary and permanent controls that keep siltation out of downstream drainage ways, enforced by the county before it issues approval.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Jackson County

All Jackson County rules

Compare Jackson County to another location·View the Mississippi environmental rules overview

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