In August of 1974, the Board of County Commissioners of Guilford County adopted a Soil Erosion and Sedimentation Control Ordinance.  The purpose of this Ordinance is regulation of “land-disturbing activity to control accelerated erosion and sedimentation in order; to prevent the pollution to water and damage to lakes, watercourses, and other public and private property by sedimentation….”

As Guilford County develops more densely and more rapidly, we are beginning to see some of the following problems from individual home building:

1. Mud on public streets.
2. Bare and eroding side ditches of public streets.
3. Mud and silt obstructing drainage culverts.
4. Mud filling in stream channels and drainage ways.
5. Siltation damage to private and public ponds and lakes.
6. Siltation damage to private lawns.
7. Siltation to vital and protected wetlands.

Allowing sediment onto adjoining properties, water courses, or public roads is a violation of the Guilford County Ordinances, North Carolina State Laws, and other applicable ordinances.  Civil penalties up to $5,000.00 per day may be assessed until site compliance is met. Also, land disturbing activities that exceed one acre or more within a tract of land is required to obtain a grading permit through Guilford County and as of April 1^st, 2019, a Certificate of Coverage (COC) under the new NCG01. Failure to secure a grading permit can result in enforcement actions including fines, civil penalties, stop work orders, and a hold on certificates of occupancy.

Guilford County Grading permit:

https://www.guilfordcountync.gov/our-county/planning-development/soil-erosion-control/grading-permit

North Carolina DEMLR NCG01 form and information:

https://deq.nc.gov/NCG01

The following steps are recommended to minimize off-site sedimentation:

1. Clear and grade no more than is absolutely necessary for building construction.
2. Do not disturb side ditches that have a good grass cover.
3. Leave a natural wooded or grass buffer where possible on slopes and near property lines.
4. Install a gravel entrance into the building site and keep it maintained as needed.
5. Install silt fencing, earthen berms, straw wattles, etc. to control muddy water during and after grading. Details on installation of these devices are available from our office at no charge. (Temporary devices have to be maintained regularly and are intended only for short term use.)
6. The use of temporary and/or permanent groundcover in conjunction with temporary devices is most effective in preventing soil erosion.
   

Related Links:

Single Family Erosion Control Option

How to prevent off-site sedimentation if you are an individual home builder?

Silt Fence Detail

Ground Stabilization Timeframes

Permanent Seeding Specifications

Temporary Seeding Specifications

Erosion and Sediment Control Planning and Design Manual

How much Ground am I disturbing?

Construction Entrance Details