Jackson County, GA Environmental Rules: Stormwater Management (2026)

Adopted as the "Jackson County Stormwater Management Ordinance" by Ordinance No. 17-003 on October 2, 2017, Article 11 of the Unified Development Code requires a stormwater management plan before the county will approve a land-disturbance permit, development permit, building permit or major subdivision plat, unless the project falls under a listed exemption (Secs. 1101, 1105, 1107). Sec. 1106 exempts individual single-family or duplex lots outside a subdivision, additions to existing single-family or duplex homes, lawful agricultural or silvicultural activity, and emergency repairs. Outside the county's urbanized MS4 area, Division II requires only the basic plan contents in Sec.

1122; inside the urbanized area, Division III applies the full Georgia Stormwater Management Manual, and Sec. 1132 pulls in any new development or redevelopment creating 5,000 square feet or more of impervious cover, disturbing one acre or more, or qualifying as a stormwater "hotspot" regardless of size. Detention facilities must use at least four-to-one side slopes and be built before other site improvements (Sec. 1108). The developer must maintain required facilities during construction and for two years after the final plat or certificate of occupancy; after that, the property owner, or a homeowners' association for residential subdivisions under Sec.

1110, is responsible (Sec. 1109). The Public Development Director can inspect during construction, on an ongoing basis, or on complaint (Sec. 1150), and county personnel have a right of entry wherever they reasonably believe a violation is occurring (Sec. 1152). Records of maintenance must be turned over to the county within 30 days of a written request (Sec. 1154).