Skip to main content
N.C. Division of Water Quality
About the Division of Water Quality | Accesskey = a Contact Us | Accesskey = c Division of Water Quality Sections | Accesskey = s Glossary | Accesskey = g
To preserve, protect and enhance North Carolina's water... dwq banner

Navigation Links

Stormwater Unit :: State Stormwater Management Program

The State Stormwater Management Program was established in the late 1980's under the authority of the North Carolina Environmental Management Commission (EMC) and North Carolina General Statute 143-214.7.  This program, codified in 15A NCAC 2H .1000, affects development activities that require either a Erosion and Sediment Control Plan (for disturbances of one or more acres) or a CAMA major permit with in one of the following areas:

  •   The twenty coastal counties, and/or
  •   Development draining to Outstanding Resource Waters (ORW) or High Quality Waters (HQW)

To see a map of the 20 coastal counties and the ORW and HQW areas, click here.

To obtain a permit for either area, contact your appropriate regional office. A map of the Regional Offices with contact information is located at this link.

The State Stormwater Management Program requires developments to protect these sensitive waters by maintaining a low density of impervious surfaces, maintain vegetative buffers, and transporting runoff through vegitative conveyances.  Low density development thresholds vary from 12-30% built upon area (impervious surface) depending on the classification of the receiving stream.  If low density design criteria cannot be met, then high density development requires the installation of structural best management practices (BMP's) to collect and treat stormwater runoff from the project.  High density BMP's must control the runoff from the 1 or 1.5 inch storm event (depending on the receiving stream classification) and remove 85% of the total suspended solids.

Visit the Coastal Stormwater Rule Homepage

Policy on Use of Fountains in Stormwater Ponds

Downloadable program forms & documents  


If you have comments or suggestions, contact SWGPU Webmaster