This page outlines the permits needed for many land disturbing activities and development as required under Dane County Chapters 11 and 14. Check with Water Resource Engineering Division (WRE) staff to determine if your project needs a permit before you begin.

This permit is required to limit soil erosion when a project involves any of the following activities:

• Disturbing or grading more than 4,000 square feet of land
• Excavating and/or filling more than 400 cubic yards of material
• Disturbing more than 100 lineal feet of road ditch or existing channel
• Creating a new public or private road or access drive longer than 125 feet
• Recording a subdivision plat
• Other activities that pose a high erosion or water pollution risk

This permit is required for any amount of land disturbance in the primary shoreland zone, which includes all lands:

• Within 300 feet of navigable rivers and streams
• Within 75 feet of wetlands
• Within the 100‐year floodplain

This permit is required for 4,000 square feet of disturbance (including single family homes) in the secondary shoreland zone, which includes all lands:

• Within 300 to 1000 feet of a navigable lake, pond, or flowage

Check with Dane County Zoning first to see whether a Shoreland Zoning or Mitigation Permit is required – call (608) 266‐4266.

This permit is required to mitigate the affects of runoff from a Site when a project involves any of the following activities:

• The cumulative creation of 20,000 square feet or more of impervious surface area after August 22, 2001
• Recording a subdivision plat
• Development that requires a certified survey map intended for commercial or industrial use
• Land disturbance of more than 4,000 ft² of an existing commercial, industrial, institutional, or multifamily use site
• Other activities that pose a high risk of flooding or damage due to runoff

If the permit applicant is not the owner, a notarized authorization form must be submitted with application.

1. If your site is in the Shoreland Zone, please contact Dane County Zoning first at (608) 266‐4266.
2. Submit permit application to the WRE office or digitally to WREDiv@danecounty.gov with plan documents uploaded to WRE File Transfer Site. Permit fees can be delivered to the WRE office or an invoice can be requested.
3. Upon verifying the application is complete, the plan is queued for review.
4. Water Resource Engineering staff will inform you or your consultant of permit approval or plan deficiencies within 15 working days.
5. Upon approval of the plan and confirmation that all requirements are met, a permit will be issued.
6. The permit card will be sent to you by email, or picked up at the WRE Office.

• The permit card must be posted and a copy of the approved plan must be kept on site for the duration of permit coverage.
• Dane County may issue STOP WORK ORDERS and CITATIONS on sites without valid permits.
• Some land disturbing activities may be exempt from county and state erosion control requirements. Certain state building projects and highway projects are subject to Wisconsin Administration Code Chapter Trans 401. Refer to Dane County Chapters 11.05(2) and 14.47 for a complete exemption list.

Dane County WRE Division
5201 Fen Oak Drive, Room 208
Madison, WI 53718

https://lwrd.danecounty.gov/about/contact-us