Lake County enforces strict erosion and sediment control under the Watershed Development Ordinance (WDO) Article V. Any land disturbance over 5,000 sq ft requires a permit, SESC plan, silt fencing, and stabilized construction entrance per NPDES ILR10 rules.
Lake County's Watershed Development Ordinance (WDO), administered by the Stormwater Management Commission (SMC), governs erosion and sediment control across unincorporated areas and 50+ certified municipalities including Waukegan, Libertyville, Gurnee, Highland Park, and Lake Forest. Under WDO Article V, any development disturbing 5,000 sq ft or more requires a Watershed Development Permit with an approved Soil Erosion and Sediment Control (SESC) plan. Required BMPs include silt fence on downslope perimeters, stabilized construction entrances, inlet protection, erosion control blankets on slopes over 3:1, and sediment basins for sites over 5 acres. Disturbed areas must be stabilized within 7 days of final grading (14 days in non-growing season). Projects over 1 acre also require an Illinois EPA NPDES ILR10 permit under 415 ILCS 5/39. SMC inspectors conduct active-site inspections and may issue stop-work orders.
Work without SESC plan: stop-work order, fines $500 to $2,500 per day under WDO Art. XIV. Sediment discharge to Lake Michigan, Des Plaines, or Fox River: IEPA Section 12 penalties up to $50,000 per day. Failure to stabilize disturbed soil: daily fines until vegetation established.
Lake County, IL
Barking dogs in unincorporated Lake County are addressed as nuisance complaints through the Public Nuisance Ordinance. Lake County Animal Care and Control in...
Lake County, IL
Lake County Public Nuisance Ordinance prohibits sound from amplification equipment audible at 100 feet or more from the source, or exceeding 70 dB(A) at the ...
Lake County, IL
Chapter 94 of the Lake County Code regulates construction hours and noise in unincorporated areas. Standard construction hours apply with enforcement through...
Lake County, IL
Lake County IL regulates amplified music through the UDO noise performance standards and municipal ordinances. Outdoor amplified events require special event...
Lake County, IL
Maximum fence height in unincorporated Lake County is 6 feet. Fences exceeding 6 feet in nonresource zones require a building permit. Sight-obscuring fences ...
Lake County, IL
Illinois Fence Act (765 ILCS 130) governs agricultural boundary fences. In residential unincorporated Lake County, fences must be entirely on private propert...
See how Lake County's erosion control rules stack up against other locations.
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