Jacksonville Beach, FL Environmental Rules: Stormwater Management (2026)

Section 34-771 applies inside the incorporated area of the City of Jacksonville Beach and requires a permit for new stormwater discharge facilities or changes to existing ones, consistent with St. Johns River Water Management District requirements. Activities that alter runoff patterns and need a permit before development starts include clearing or draining land, converting undeveloped land to nonagricultural use, subdividing land where road improvements are required, depositing fill, and any alteration that increases required capacity.

Design storms are fixed by the code. Major outfall facilities such as trunk storm sewers, canals and culverts must accommodate a twenty-five-year, twenty-four-hour storm with a zero-minute time of concentration. Major components in new residential subdivisions use the same twenty-five-year storm. Every other development must handle a ten-year, twenty-four-hour storm with a ten-minute time of concentration. Treatment is measured separately: the runoff from the first one inch of rainfall over the entire site, through retention or detention with filtration, and no discharge may cause a violation of water quality standards under Section 62-302.500 of the Florida Administrative Code.

The design must also meet the FDOT Drainage Manual, Chapter 62-25 F.A.C., Chapter 40C of the St. Johns River Water Management District rules, and the federal NPDES rules. Applications go to the planning and development department and must show one-foot contour intervals, soil types, drainage boundaries, pond sizes, an erosion and sedimentation control plan, soil borings at least ten feet below the proposed basin bottom, a maintenance plan, and a certification signed by a Florida-licensed engineer. The planning and development department certifies compliance after public works approves.

Construction details are specific. Dry basin bottoms are seeded and mulched, slopes steeper than 3:1 get stapled or pinned sod, wet pond banks steeper than 4:1 are stake sodded and fenced, and outlet velocities above three feet per second require an energy dissipation device. Residential drainage basins sit in common areas, not platted lots, with access at least ten feet wide.

A single-family residence and its accessory structures are exempt where clearing and drainage do not adversely impact adjacent properties by creating additional runoff. Land cleared solely for recreation, qualifying agriculture or open space is also exempt unless protected areas in the comprehensive plan could be affected.