Management of Storm Water and Sediment in Geauga County

Few activities cause the magnitude of soil disturbance in urbanized areas that construction sites do.  Soil erosion and the resulting sedimentation are a leading cause of water quality problems in Geauga County.  In order to protect the County's resources, the Geauga Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) implements the Geauga County Water Management and Sediment Control Regulations, Amended 2009. 

Geauga County was the first county in Ohio to have these regulations. They were adopted in 1979 by the Geauga County Commissioners and have had numerous revisions and amendments since then. The purpose of the regulations is to protect the county’s water resources by ensuring that the proper stormwater and erosion and sediment control measures are in place. Erosion and sediment control measures are called Best Management Practices (BMP’s), and when installed and maintained correctly, they help prevent soil from leaving the site. Stormwater control measures ensure that the volume of storm water runoff remains the same as before development occurs.

The regulations currently state:

1. All construction sites where earth-disturbing activities are proposed on land disturbing one acre or more, or where earth- disturbing activities are proposed on sublots within platted subdivisions, must submit a Water Management and Sediment Control (WMSC) Plan.

2. All Geauga County residents are responsible for knowing and complying with the regulations whether or not a plan is required.

The District inspects construction sites to ensure that they are adhering to the rules established in the Water Management and Sediment Control Regulations.  The District has the authority to issue a stop work order to gain compliance with the aforementioned regulations.            

The District staff works diligently to review plans and perform site inspections to ensure that these erosion and sediment control measures are in place. The District is committed to helping achieve a balance between development and nature; therefore, preserving the integrity of Geauga County’s natural resources. 

Below is a list of plan requirements for different types of building that may occur within Geauga County.

Building on a Residential Lot

When is an Erosion and Sediment Control plan required to be submitted to Geauga SWCD?

1. Construction (including septic systems) of any size occurring on a sublot within a subdivision; or 
2. Construction disturbing over 1 acre of land; or
3. Construction (including septic systems) of any size within the townships of Auburn, Bainbridge, Chester, Munson, Newbury, and Thompson and the City of Chardon.

What needs to be submitted?

Site plan of the property showing:

1. Existing features such as - contour lines, property lines, existing buildings and driveways, streams, wetlands, conservation easement areas, and zoning setbacks
2. Proposed Features such as - limits of construction, footprint of proposed structure(s), driveway, and septic system (as applicable)
3. General Information
   • Owner Name, Address, Phone
   • Contractor Company Name, Contact Name, Address, Phone
   • Address and Parcel number of property
   • Total acreage and acreage to be disturbed
4. Erosion and Sediment Control Measures
   • Silt Fence necessary to prevent sediment transport to adjacent properties, ditches, streams, or wetlands
   • Location of construction entrance
   • Location of concrete washout area
5. General Notes and details of erosion and sediment control measures (BMPs)
6. WMSC Plan Review Application
7. $60.00 Plan Review and Inspection Fee

Documents                                                          The following documents may be utilized to aid in preparing the site plan and submittal requirements:

Erosion and Sediment Control Practices for Individual Lots Construction

Home Builder Plan Requirements with sample site plan and Erosion and Sediment Control General Note Sheet to be attached to the site plan.

Erosion & Sediment Control Site Plan Exemption Form    The Geauga County Building Department will require a site plan approval letter or an exemption form.  If your site does not meet one of the three requirements listed above then this exemption form must be submitted.

Designation of Owner Appointed Representative (Section 4.02-P                                                                                                This form is utilized to appoint someone other than the owner of the property to be the responsible party for items pertaining to the permit and to receive reports and notices.

Erosion & Sediment Control Requirements for Septic System Installations

Commercial and Other Non-Residential Building

When is a Water Management and Sediment Control plan required to be submitted to Geauga SWCD?

1. Construction of any size occuring on a sublot within a subdivision; or
2. Construction disturbing over 1 acre of land; or
3. Construction of any size within the townships of Auburn, Bainbridge, Chester, Munson, Newbury, and Thompson and the City of Chardon.

What needs to be submitted?

Refer to Section 4 of the Water Management and Sediment Control Regulations, but in short, 2 copies of a site plan that shows:

• Erosion and Sediment Control Measures
• Storm Water Management features that have been designed according to an engineering storm water analysis of both the quantity and quality of the storm water runoff comparing the pre and post construction condition
• Applicable Review Fee as indicated on the Fee Schedule (Section 6.02)
• Draft Long Term Inspection and Maintenance Document as applicable for the site.  See the section below for sample documents under "Construction Complete"
• Any and all environmental permits for stream and/or wetland distrubances
• Geauga SWCD WMSC Plan Review Application
• Ohio EPA Notice of Intent (NOI) for Construction Activities

Water Management and Sediment Control Approved

A Contractors WMSC Plan Certification Sheet (Section 4.02P) must be submitted.  This sheet should be signed by any contractors that will be responsible for the installation of erosion and sediment control measures or storm water management that certifies that they are familiar with the requirements as shown on the plans.

Construction Complete

The following documents must be submitted to receive final approval and to close the construction site if a feature was constructed on the parcel to manage storm water (i.e., detention/retention basin, bioretention cell, etc.).

• As-Built Certification (Section 8.04-A-3)  This document or similar must be provided either on the as-built drawings or attached.  This is a signoff certification by the design engineer that the storm water facility meets the intended design as approved.
• Long Term Inspection & Maintenance Agreement (Section 4.02-O & 8.04-A-3) must be provided.  Samples for the various types of documents that can be used as applicable are provided below:
  • Subdivisions                                       (PDF Format)   or    (Word Format) 

• Commercial, Institutional, Government, other non-subdivision projects           (PDF Format)    or      (Word Format)

• Sample Drainage Maintenance District Declaration of Restrictions                 (PDF Format)   or      (Word Format)

Documents                                                                    The following documents may be utilized to aid in preparing the site plan and submittal requirements:

Erosion & Sediment Control Site Plan Exemption Form                                                                          The Geauga County Building Department will require a site plan approval letter or an exemption form.  If your site does not meet one of the three requirements listed above, then this exemption form must be submitted.

Designation of Owner Appointed Representative (Section 4.02-P)                                                                                               This form is utilized to appoint someone other than the owner of the property to be the responsible party for items pertaining to the permit and to receive reports and notices.

Entire Huff and Angel Document (Section 4.04-C) or Summary Table of Huff and Angel Rainfall Data for use in critical storm calculations.