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1. Do I need a Land Disturbance Permit?

Any person, firm, corporation, or business proposing to remove any ground vegetation, to disturb or fill the land, or to store soil affecting 5,000 square feet or more within unincorporated St. Charles County is required to apply to the Department of Community Development for approval and issuance of a land disturbance permit unless otherwise exempted under Section 412.050 of the County Code. An additional permit is required from the Missouri Department of Natural Resources when proposed land disturbance activities affect one acre or more.

Section 412.050 of St. Charles County Code

2. What are the requirements for construction adjacent to and within natural watercourses?

In general, construction is not allowed within 25 feet of natural watercourses (channels comprised of definite beds and banks to confine and conduct continuously or periodically flowing water formed in the surface of the earth prior to changes made by unnatural conditions) or within 50 feet of the Dardenne Creek, Peruque Creek, Femme Osage Creek, Big Creek, and McCoy Creek as measured from the top of the stream bank. Installation or removal of berms or dams, clearing of existing vegetation, soil disturbance, filling or dumping, drainage by ditching, road, bridge, or utility crossings, paths and trails, buffer restoration, water quality monitoring & stream gauging, and dead or damaged tree and debris removal can be allowed with approval from Division or Department Directors and/or the County Council per Sections 405.5026 and 405.5027 of the County Code. Permits may also be required from the Division of Planning & Zoning, the United States Army Corps of Engineers, the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency for projects approved within or adjacent to natural watercourses. Contact the Division of Development Review for specific information regarding your project. Sections 405.5026 and 405.5027 of the County Code

3. How can I protect my property from storm water drainage or alter storm water drainage within and adjacent to my property?

State law allows you to protect your property from storm water drainage as long as you do not cause damage to neighboring properties in doing so. Any alteration of storm water drainage would need to be made on your property unless an easement or permission is obtained to alter drainage on neighboring properties. Contact the Division of Development Review for specific information regarding your drainage issues and to discuss the possible need for permits to address these issues. Development Review Division

4. Other than storm water detention, what requirements do you have for storm water quality treatment?

The Division of Development Review is currently working on a draft for requirements to treat the runoff from 90% of the recorded daily rainfall events (water quality volume – equivalent to 1.14” of rainfall) and to maintain the pre-development hydrology in post-construction storm water runoff. Treatment for water quality volume will be required for sites needing conditional use permits (where applicable). Incentives to provide treatment for water quality volume are also being offered in the form of a reduction or elimination of detention requirements and variances to eliminate or reduce infrastructure (such as storm sewer and curb & gutter). Maintenance agreements are required to be executed and recorded by the owners of private facilities and maintenance specifications are required to be incorporated into the subdivision covenants & restrictions for residential developments making the maintenance the responsibility of the homeowners association. Section 420.020 of the County Code regulates requirements for the maintenance of such storm water quality facilities and gives the county the authority to inspect and enforce this maintenance.
Section 420.020 of the County Code

5. What is a BMP?

BMP stands for Best Management Practice. Storm water management BMPs are control measures taken to mitigate changes to both quantity and quality of urban runoff caused through changes to land use. Generally BMPs focus on water quality problems caused by temporary land disturbances and increased impervious surfaces from land development. BMPs are designed to control and contain soil erosion, reduce storm water volume, peak flows, and/or nonpoint source pollution through evapotranspiration, infiltration, detention, and filtration or biological and chemical actions. Storm water BMPs can be classified as "structural" (i.e., devices installed or constructed on a site) or "non-structural" (procedures, such as modified landscaping practices, reducing the use of chemical fertilizers, etc.). There are a variety of BMPs available; selection typically depends on site characteristics and pollutant removal objectives. EPA has published a list of storm water BMPs for use by local governments, builders and property owners. Sections 50 and 60 of the Design Criteria for the Preparation of Improvement Plans include design standards and acceptable BMPs for use in meeting St. Charles County’s requirements for post-construction storm water runoff and construction site erosion and sediment controls.
Design Criteria for the Preparation of Imp. Plans