Erosion Control / Stormwater

Erosion & Sediment Control

Certain land-disturbing activities require advance approval of an Erosion and Sediment Control Plan. The purpose of an Erosion and Sediment Plan is to control soil erosion, sediment deposition, and nonagricultural runoff. For the purposes of the County's erosion and Sediment regulations, the term "land-disturbing activity" means any land change that may result in soil erosion from water or wind and the movement of sediments into state waters or onto other property. With certain exceptions [as set forth in the County's Erosion and Sediment ordinance] land-disturbing activity includes clearing, grading, excavating, transporting soil, and filling of land.

Stormwater Management

The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality is the Stormwater Management Authority for Madison County. Certain land-disturbing activities require advance approval of a local Stormwater Plan and/or a Virginia Stormwater Management Plan (VSMP). A VSMP is required anytime more than one (1) acre of land will be disturbed by development activities. For the purposes of state and local stormwater regulations, the term "land-disturbing activity" means any manmade change to the land surface that potentially changes its runoff characteristics, including any clearing, grading, or excavation associated with a construction activity regulated pursuant to the federal Clean Water Act.