Jefferson Parish, LA Environmental Rules: Stormwater Management (2026)
Key Facts
- Permit required for
- Any work in or near a canal, ditch, or servitude
- Canal setback
- 35 feet minimum, 75 feet maximum from property line
- Ditch setback
- 20 feet minimum if stable, 35 feet maximum
- Canal defined as
- Excavation 35+ feet wide at the top
- Enforcing office
- Jefferson Parish Department of Drainage
- General penalty
- Up to $1,000 fine or 6 months jail
Summary
Any digging, filling, or construction in or near a Jefferson Parish drainage canal or ditch needs a permit from the parish drainage department, and dumping material into a canal, ditch, or catch basin without one is a violation. Canals must sit at least 35 feet from structures and ditches at least 20 feet, protecting the flood-control network that keeps the parish's low-lying, flood-prone West Bank and East Bank drained.
(a)It shall be unlawful to dump or place material of any type into parish catch basins, in a canal/ditch, on the banks of a drainage canal/ditch or in a drainage servitude without a permit.(b)It shall be unlawful to construct to place improvements of any type in a drainage canal/ditch, on the banks of a drainage canal/ditch or in a drainage servitude without a permit.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 20 Update 2).
Full Breakdown
Section 27-69 requires a permit from the drainage department before any activity within a drainage canal or ditch, on its banks, or inside a drainage servitude. Section 27-70 puts culvert sizing and placement under the same director's approval, with grade stakes and installation subject to inspection. Section 27-71 makes it unlawful to dump or place material into a parish catch basin, canal, ditch, or drainage servitude, or to build any improvement there, without that permit. Anyone who wants an exception can apply in writing under Section 27-72, but the drainage director can deny the request outright, and even an approval needs the department of engineering to concur.
Section 27-73 sets the parish's own definitions: a canal is an excavation at least 35 feet wide at the top, a ditch is one between 5 and 35 feet wide. New canals must be built no closer than 35 feet to a property line, capped at 75 feet, with the exact distance set by a soil stability analysis the developer has to provide. Ditches need at least 20 feet of setback, extendable to 35, but the 20-foot minimum only applies if the existing ditch can handle a ten-year rainfall and its banks have been proven stable.
Fences, buildings, and other structures are held to those same canal and ditch setbacks. In deciding how much land a canal or ditch actually needs for maintenance, the department of public utilities has to weigh the parish's current master drainage plan, not just the raw distance figures.
Violations & Fines
Building, digging, or dumping in a canal, ditch, or drainage servitude without a permit violates Section 27-71 and, like most parish code sections without their own stated penalty, is punishable under the general penalty in Section 1-10: up to a $1,000 fine, six months in jail, or both, with each day of the violation treated as a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to work near a drainage canal or ditch in Jefferson Parish?
How close to a Jefferson Parish canal or ditch can I build a fence?
Can I get permission to build closer to a drainage canal than the code allows?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Jefferson Parish
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