Rowlett, TX Environmental Rules: Erosion Control (2026)
Key Facts
- Erosion control plan
- Required for all new development
- Approving authority
- City engineer
- Excavation/grading
- Separate city engineer permit required
- Open channel slopes
- No steeper than 4:1 with ground cover
- Fencing rule
- Fences can't block flow or cause erosion
Summary
Any Rowlett property owner proposing new development must submit an erosion control plan covering excess siltation and downstream erosion, approved by the city engineer, under Code § 77-502(D)(4). Excavation, fill and grading work also needs its own city engineer permit before work starts.
4.When a property owner proposes a development, provisions shall be made in the development plan for control of excess siltation and downstream erosion. An erosion control plan shall be approved by the city engineer...8.Excavation, fill, and grading operations within the city limits shall be undertaken only after a proper permit has been obtained from the city engineer. Failure to obtain the proper permit may result in the requirement for the developer to replace the soils, as required by the city engineer...9.Fences and screening shall be constructed such that blockage of surface water flow does not occur. This includes the requirement that erosive conditions shall not be created around, under or near a fence structure.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 29).
Full Breakdown
Section 77-502 of the Development Code, "Protection of drainage areas and creeks; stormwater management," places the burden for stormwater and erosion control on the developer. Section 77-502(D)(4) states: "When a property owner proposes a development, provisions shall be made in the development plan for control of excess siltation and downstream erosion. " That plan sits within a broader set of owner obligations in subsection D: under § 77-502(D)(1), the owner or developer is responsible for all storm drainage flowing through or abutting the property, whether directed there by upstream development or by natural topography, and under § 77-502(D)(5) the owner must dedicate any required drainage easements as determined by the city engineer.
Erosion control also surfaces earlier in the section's general stormwater standards: § 77-502(C)(8) requires that "excavation, fill, and grading operations within the city limits shall be undertaken only after a proper permit has been obtained from the city engineer," and failing to get that permit can force the developer to replace disturbed soils at the city engineer's direction. For open channels carrying heavier runoff, § 77-502(C)(4)(b) separately requires earthen side slopes no steeper than four-to-one and "approved ground cover to prevent erosion," with riprap or gabion protection required wherever velocities would otherwise cause erosion. "
Violations & Fines
Developing without an approved erosion control plan or the required excavation, fill or grading permit is a Code violation under § 77-1005(A)-(B), enforced by the city engineer's office alongside the planning department. The city can withhold plat, site plan or building permit approval until the plan is on file under § 77-1006(C), and general Code violations carry a fine up to $2,000.00 under § 1-13(a), with each day of noncompliance a separate offense under § 1-13(b).
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Rowlett require an erosion control plan before I develop my property?
Do I need a permit just to excavate or grade land in Rowlett?
Can I build a fence that blocks drainage on my Rowlett property?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Rowlett
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Erosion Control in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Dallas County handle erosion control.