401 & Buffer Permitting Statutes & Rules
Streams, Wetlands, Waters
Section 404 of the Clean Water Act
Section 401 of the Clean Water Act
Procedures for Permits and Certifications
15A NCAC 02H .0500 401 Water Quality Certification (Readopted Eff. 6/15/20)
15A NCAC 02H .1300 Isolated Wetlands and Waters (non-404) Rules (Readopted Eff. 6/15/2020
*Since ratification of Sessions Law 2023-63, rules are only applicable to Isolated Streams
Surface Water and Wetland Standards
15A NCAC 02B .0200 (.0211-.0222) Stream Standards (Readopted Eff. 11/1/19)
15A NCAC 02B .0231 Wetlands Standards (Readopted Eff. 11/1/19)
15A NCAC 02B .0230 Activities deemed to comply with Wetlands Standards (Readopted Eff. 11/1/19)
Riparian Buffers
15A NCAC 02B .0714 Neuse River Basin Buffer Rule (Eff. 8/1/00, Amended Eff. 6/15/20)
15A NCAC 02B .0715 Neuse Buffer Rule Delegation Authority (Eff. 8/1/00, Amended Eff. 6/15/20)
15A NCAC 02B .0734 Tar-Pamlico River Basin Buffer Rule (Eff. 8/1/00, Amended Eff. 6/15/20)
15A NCAC 02B .0735 Tar Pam Buffer Rule Delegation Authority (Eff. 8/1/00, Amended Eff. 6/15/20)
15A NCAC 02B .0614 Catawba River Basin Buffer Rule (Eff. 8/1/04, Amended Eff. 6/15/20)
15A NCAC 02B .0724 Randleman Lake Water Supply Watershed Buffer Rule (Eff. 4/1/99, Amended Eff. 6/15/20)
15A NCAC 02B .0267 Jordan Lake Water Supply Watershed Buffer Rule (Eff. 8/1/09, Amended Eff. 7/7/14)
15A NCAC 02B .0605 Goose Creek Watershed Water Quality Management Plans: Buffer Widths Rule (Eff. 1/1/09, Amended Eff. 6/15/20)
15A NCAC 02B .0606 Goose Creek Watershed: Authorization Certificates Rule (Eff. 2/1/09, Amended Eff. 6/15/20)
15A NCAC 02B .0607 Goose Creek Watershed: Buffer Types & Managing Activities in Buffers Rule (Eff. 2/1/09, Amended Eff. 6/15/20)
15A NCAC 02B .0608 Goose Creek Watershed: Forest Harvesting Requirements Rule (Eff. 2/1/09, Amended Eff. 6/15/20)
15A NCAC 02B .0610 Managing Activities Within Riparian Buffers: Definitions
15A NCAC 02B .0611 Managing Activities Within Riparian Buffers: Authorization Certificates
15A NCAC 02B .0612 Managing Activities Within Riparian Buffers: Forest Harvesting Requirements
Interpretive Ruling on USDA Soil Survey Maps (Ruling signed 8/16/07)
Please see the Riparian Buffer Protection Program page for additional information regarding 2020 rule updates
Note that the following session laws and recent legislation are all being implemented by DWR. Some may have been codified indirectly by incorporation in the rules above.
Session Law 2011-394 Section 17 20 Coastal Counties
Session Law 2012-200 Section 8 Neuse & Tam-Pamlico
Session Law 2013-395 Section 2 Jordan
Session Law 2013-413 Section 52 Agricultural Ponds Exemption
Session Law 2015-246, House Bill 44, G.S. 143-214.23A Riparian Buffer Reform
Session Law 2017-209 Section 9 (public safety) Section 10 (Catawba greenways)
Mitigation
15A NCAC 02B .0295 Consolidated Buffer Mitigation Rule (Eff. 11/1/15)
15A NCAC 02B .0703 Nutrient Offset Credit Trading (*recodified from "Nutrient Offset Payments", 15A NCAC 02B .0240) (Eff. 8/1/98, Readopted Eff. 4/1/20)
15A NCAC 02H .0506(c), .1305(c) Review of Applications (Eff. 10/1/96, Readopted Eff. 6/15/20)
G.S. 143-214.11 Compensatory Mitigation Options
G.S. 143-214.20 Compensatory Mitigation Fees
G.S. 143-214.26 Nutrient Offset Credits (*amended by Session Law 2019-86)
Session Law 2009-337
Session Law 2011-343
Session Law 2017-10 [Section 3.13.(a)]
Session Law 2017-145
To view the current rules and regulations, search the sites below using chapter/section information provided above:
NC Office of Administrative Hearings Administrative Code Online
NC General Assembly website: General Statutes and Session Laws
Additional Water Resource Rules and Regulations
Previous Rules
15A NCAC 02B .0233 Neuse River Basin Buffer Rule
15A NCAC 02B .0259 Tar-Pamlico River Basin Buffer Rule
15A NCAC 02B .0243 Catawba River Basin Buffer Rule
15A NCAC 02B .0250 Randleman Lake Water Supply Watershed Buffer Rule
15A NCAC 02B .0605 Goose Creek Watershed Water Quality Management Plans: Buffer Widths Rule
15A NCAC 02B .0606 Goose Creek Watershed: Buffer Variance Rule
15A NCAC 02B .0607 Goose Creek Watershed: Buffer Rule
15A NCAC 02B .0608 Goose Creek Watershed: Forest Harvesting Requirements Rule