Nueces County, TX Environmental Rules: Stormwater Management (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing body
- Nueces County Commissioners Court
- Administering department
- Dept. of Public Works
- Design storm, drainage structures
- 100-year event (Table VI-6)
- Drainage easement minimum width
- 30 feet (15 ft each side)
- Floodplain construction
- Development permit required
- Violation
- Class B misdemeanor
Summary
Any subdivision plat filed in unincorporated Nueces County must include storm water drainage facilities engineered to Table VI-6's design storm frequencies. The Department of Public Works reviews the design, and drainage easements along natural waterways must run at least 30 feet wide before the Commissioners Court will approve the plat.
Storm water drainage facilities shall be designed and constructed to accommodate the design storm event shown in Table VI-6. ... The storm water drainage facilities shall be designed to: (a) Account for both on-site and off-site storm water, including water entering the subdivision. (b) Honor natural drainage divides. (c) Convey storm water to a stream, channel, or drainageway. (d) Discharge the design flow into an existing facility of sufficient capacity to receive the discharge. (e) Convey the design flow without overtopping or eroding the channel. ... (f) Not adversely affect adjacent or downstream properties. (g) Must conform to applicable County regulations concerning storm water discharge and quality.
Full Breakdown
Under the Subdivision Regulations' Chapter VI Engineering Guidelines, storm water drainage facilities for any new plat outside a municipality must be sized to Table VI-6's design storm event: a 100-year storm for drainage structures and channels, with lower-frequency events set for arterial, collector and local roads. 1 requires the design to account for both on-site and off-site water entering the tract, honor natural drainage divides, discharge into a receiving facility of sufficient capacity, avoid overtopping or eroding the channel, and not adversely affect downstream property.
Any dam included in a subdivision must meet current state dam-safety standards. 4 requires a drainage easement along every natural and constructed drainageway at least 30 feet wide (15 feet each side of the centerline), and the final plat must carry a note keeping the easement clear of fences, buildings and plantings. 5) must be a sealed hydrologic and hydraulic analysis from a Texas-registered engineer. The rule reaches only land being platted outside a city; it is not a standalone stormwater permit program for already-platted lots. Enforcement sits with the Commissioners Court and County Attorney under Chapter I's general enforcement authority.
Violations & Fines
Knowingly or intentionally violating a drainage requirement the Commissioners Court has adopted is a Class B misdemeanor under Section I-4.1. The County Attorney or other prosecuting attorney may also sue to enjoin the violation or to recover the County's cost of completing the required drainage work, under Section I-4.3.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does this drainage rule apply if I'm not subdividing land?
What storm event must a drainage structure in a new subdivision handle?
How wide does a drainage easement have to be?
What happens if a developer ignores the drainage design requirements?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Nueces County
Texas rules heatmap·Compare Nueces County to another location·View the Texas environmental rules overview
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