Anoka County, MN Environmental Rules: Erosion Control (2026)

Anoka County's Shoreland Management Ordinance (Sec. 3) is the county's erosion and sediment control standard for unincorporated land near public waters; grading and filling not already covered by a building or sewage-system permit needs a separate grading and filling permit under Sec. 2(B) once it moves more than 10 cubic yards of material on a steep slope or within a shore or bluff impact zone, or more than 50 cubic yards anywhere else on the lot. Whether or not a permit is required, Sec. 3(B) requires every land alteration to be designed to minimize erosion and sediment reaching surface waters by limiting how long bare ground stays exposed, using temporary ground cover such as mulch, establishing permanent vegetation as soon as possible, and installing sediment traps or vegetated buffer strips consistent with the local soil and water conservation district's field office technical guides.

Fill plans on steep slopes need review by a qualified professional and cannot create a finished slope of 30 percent or steeper, fill cannot be placed in a bluff impact zone at all, and any alteration below the ordinary high water level needs separate DNR authorization under Minn. § 103G. Where shoreline riprap is used, Sec. 3(10) caps the finished slope at three feet horizontal to one foot vertical, keeps the riprap within ten feet of the OHWL, and limits its height above the OHWL to three feet. The Anoka County Public Health and Environmental Services Department administers and enforces all of it.