Walker County, GA Environmental Rules: Stormwater Management (2026)
Key Facts
- Applies to
- All new development & redevelopment, countywide
- Trigger
- 5,000 sq ft disturbance or impervious area
- Redevelopment trigger
- 1 acre other land development activity
- Commercial/industrial
- Regulated regardless of size
- Design standard
- Georgia Stormwater Management Manual (§22-698)
- Exempt
- Single-family additions, agriculture, small lots
Summary
Walker County Code §§ 22-694 and 22-695 require post-development stormwater management standards for new development and redevelopment countywide in unincorporated Walker County, triggered by 5,000 square feet of land disturbance, 5,000 square feet of new impervious surface, or 1 acre of other land development activity.
The purpose of this article is to protect, maintain and enhance the public health, safety and general welfare by establishing minimum requirements and procedures to control the adverse effects of increased post-development stormwater runoff and nonpoint source pollution associated with new development and redevelopment. ... (1)To prevent the adverse impacts of post-development stormwater runoff, Walker County has developed a set of minimum post-development stormwater management standards that must be met. These standards apply to any new development or redevelopment site that meets 1 or more of the following criteria:a.New development that involves land development activity of 5,000 square feet of land or greater;b.Redevelopment that includes the creation or addition of 5,000 square feet or greater of new impervious surface area, or that involves other land development activity of 1 acre or more; orc.Any commercial or industrial new development or redevelopment, regardless of size, that is defined by Walker County.
Full Breakdown
Chapter 22, Article VIII, "Post-Development Stormwater Management for New Development and Redevelopment," applies countywide to unincorporated Walker County land development, not just the Corridor Overlay District. Sec. 22-693 finds that land development permanently alters watershed hydrology, increasing flooding, erosion, sediment transport, and nonpoint source pollution, and that state and federal law require the county to address these impacts. Sec. 22-694 sets the article's purpose: minimum requirements and procedures to control adverse effects of post-development runoff, including maintaining pre-development hydrologic response, minimum design criteria for structural and nonstructural stormwater controls, long-term maintenance responsibility, and administrative review and inspection procedures.
Sec. 22-695 makes the article applicable to all land development, including site plan, subdivision, and grading applications, once a project meets any one of three triggers: 5,000 square feet or more of new land development activity, 5,000 square feet or more of new impervious surface (or 1 acre of other redevelopment activity), or any commercial or industrial development regardless of size. Exemptions cover projects under 5,000 square feet outside a common development plan, individual single-family lots outside a subdivision, additions to existing single-family homes, agricultural or silvicultural activity, and necessary repairs to stormwater facilities. Sec. 22-698 requires design compliance with the latest Georgia Stormwater Management Manual.
Violations & Fines
Land development that begins without an approved stormwater management plan, or that exceeds the triggering thresholds without meeting design standards, is a Code violation. As with other Chapter 22 provisions, such violations are enforced through the Code's general penalty at § 1-13, up to a $1,000 fine, six months, or both, with each day of noncompliance a separate offense, in addition to any permit revocation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the stormwater rule cover single-family homes?
What size project triggers Walker County's stormwater standards?
What design manual does Walker County require compliance with?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Walker County
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