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APPENDIX B – WAKE COUNTY PROGRAMS TO MITIGATE SECONDARY AND CUMULATIVE IMPACTS
B-3
TABLE B-1
Summary of Selected Wake County UDO Protection Measures
Program
Summary
management practices (BMPs) are required to mitigate for target curve number
execeedances, peak flow, and sometimes nitrogen. Stormwater permits are required for
all regular subdivisions and for non-residential projects that cumulatively disturb more than
0.5 acre.
Compliance with Neuse River basin and Jordan Lake watershed nutrient sensitive waters
(NSW) nutrient management strategies is required.
Riparian Buffers
(UDO, Article
11)
In Water Supply Watersheds: (Swift Creek and Jordan Lake)
Buffer requirements:
100 feet from the flood pool elevation of the water supply impoundment
(measured perpendicular to the shoreline)
50 feet from the normal pool elevation of any non-water supply impoundment
with a drainage area of 25 acres or more
100 feet along perennial streams on the most recent edition of U.S. Geological
Survey (USGS) topographic maps; inner 50 feet (Zone 1) is undisturbed
vegetated; outer 50 feet (Zone 2) is stable vegetated
50 feet along non-perennial watercourse, channel, ditch, or similar physiographic
feature with a drainage area of 25 acres or more
30 feet from the normal pool elevation of a non-water supply impoundment with a
drainage area of at least 5 acres but less than 25 acres
30 feet along each side of a water course, channel, ditch, or similar
physiographic feature with a drainage area of at least 5 acres but less than 25
acres
Minimum building setback from all buffers is 20 feet, except in the 100-foot-wide
perennial stream buffer, which has no required setback
The inner 50 feet (Zone 1) of the 100-foot buffer required along perennial streams
must either be platted as part of a development lot and included within a conservation
easement, or set aside as a reserved conservation parcel.
In Resource Conservation Overlay (Bass Lake):
Buffer requirements:
100 feet required around special water impoundment (Special watershed: a
watershed area in Wake County zoning jurisdiction that contains a special water
impoundment[s] that provide[s] significant wildlife habitat, characteristics unique
to Wake County, public recreation, or potential for future recreation)
50 feet along each side of a stream or impoundment draining 25 or more acres of
land
25 feet along each side of a stream or impoundment which drains between 5 and
25 acres
Vegetation within buffers will be undisturbed except for specific uses (such as boat
docks, greenways, and drainage facilities or utilities).
Minimum building setback from buffer is 20 feet.
All riparian surface waters in the County’s jurisdiction are required to have a 50-foot-wide
buffer if the feature is present on either the most recent version of the USDA Soils Map or
7.5-minute quadrangle topographic map prepared by the USGS. The first 30 feet of buffer
(Zone 1) must remain essentially undisturbed, while the other 20 feet (Zone 2) are to be
covered with vegetation but certain uses would be allowed in this zone.
Floodplain
Protection
(UDO Article 14)
In floodways and the 100-year floodplain:
No new structures shall be constructed.
No fill shall be placed in floodway unless a no-rise certification is approved.
Encroachments in floodway are limited to roads, bridges, culverts, or water-
dependent structures, and no-rise certification is required.
In special flood hazard areas (non-Federal Emergency Management Agency [FEMA]