Walker County, GA Environmental Rules: Erosion Control (2026)

Chapter 16, article VI of the Walker County Code implements Georgia's Erosion and Sedimentation Act for the unincorporated county. Section 16-560(b)(1) makes it unlawful to conduct any land-disturbing activity within Walker County's jurisdiction without first obtaining a permit from the Walker County Planning and Development Office, along with a copy of any Notice of Intent filed with the state EPD. Section 16-558 exempts several categories, including home gardens and individual landscaping, single-family construction that disturbs less than 1 acre outside a larger development, and normal agricultural operations, but even exempt single-family construction near a designated trout stream must still keep a buffer of at least 50 feet, or 25 feet along first-order trout waters.

For everything else, section 16-559(c)(15) sets a 25-foot undisturbed buffer along the banks of state waters, widened to 50 feet along trout streams under subsection (c)(16), and bars clearing beyond what is minimally necessary for the footprint of a structure, road, or required parking. The Planning and Development Office, acting as the Local Issuing Authority, must refer every application to the Coosa River Soil and Water Conservation District, which has 35 days to approve or disapprove the plan, and the county can require a bond of up to $3,000.00 per acre before issuing the permit under section 16-560(b)(7).

Section 16-561 puts inspection and enforcement in the hands of the Planning Director, who can issue a written notice to comply, and repeated or serious violations can trigger a stop-work order under section 16-562.