County stormwater permitting differs depending on the location of your project as well as the size of your project.

Facilities Permits
In terms of stormwater, all development within the County that has the potential to change drainage hydrology that discharges to a right-of-way that is subject to County jurisdiction can only be authorized through facility permits.

Eugene/Springfield Metro Area Stormwater Permitting
If your project is within the Eugene-Springfield metro area, your project may require stormwater permits.  The County stormwater system must meet Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) stormwater requirements that are outlined in the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) Phase II General Permit which was issued in March of 2019. In order to meet these requirements, the County works closely with the Cities of Eugene and Springfield.  

If your site is within the Urban Growth Boundary (UGBs) of the Cities of Eugene and Springfield you will likely need to meet City stormwater permitting requirements:

• If your site is within the urban growth boundary of the City of Eugene (West of I-5), please coordinate with the City of Eugene Building and Permit Services on all stormwater related development standards. 

•  If your site is within the urban growth boundary of the City of Springfield (East of I-5), please coordinate with City of Springfield Development & Public Works Resource Center.

   

New Erosion Prevention Program - MS4 Area 
Lane County implemented an Erosion Prevention Program for the Lane County MS4 area outside the urban growth boundaries of Eugene and Springfield on May 1, 2024 (Lane Code 9.090 - 9.090.065). The cities of Eugene and Springfield will continue to implement their respective Erosion Prevention Programs within the UGBs of their cities per Lane Code 9.090.015. For more information, see our Erosion Prevention Program page. 

Need to know if your property is in a Eugene or Springfield UGB or the County MS4 Area?
Search for your property on our Zone and Plan Map.  Once on this page click the layers button in the top right to open the Table of Contents. Expand the Boundaries group to view layers for Urban Growth Boundaries and City Limits. Expand the Erosion Prevention group to view the MS4 Area where the newly adopted Erosion Prevention Program applies. 

Post-Construction Code Coming Soon
The NPDES MS4 Phase II General Permit requires the County to implement post-construction code across the MS4 area. Staff are currently in the process of developing code. More updates coming this fall.    

Quick Reference: Stormwater Policy Links

• Illicit Discharge Code: Lane Code 9.010.007 assists the County in minimizing pollutant loading to our stormwater system which has the potential to transport pollutants to waters of the state. See more information here. 

• Illegal Dumping Code: Lane Code 9.010.005 from a stormwater perspective, this code assists in minimizing pollutant loading to our stormwater system that could be transported to waters of the state.

• Roadway Stormwater Design: Lane Manual 15.515 states that the sole use of roadside ditches and other drainage facilities within the right-of-way shall be designed solely for drainage of the roadway.

• Goshen Post Construction Stormwater Code: Lane Code 16.280.16.d for development within the Goshen Industrial zones (GI,LI).

• Construction Stormwater Erosion Control Code: Lane Code 9.090.015.B for City of Eugene UGB and Lane Code 9.090.015.C for City of Springfield UGB. Lane Code 9.090 - 9.090.065 for MS4 area outside UGB (See more information here). 

   

Need More Information?
Contact:

Zach Peterson
Stormwater Coordinator
Email