Placer County Oversight of Small Construction Projects, Truckee River Watershed

The Lahontan Water Board is no longer requiring enrollment under Board Order No. R6T-2003-0004 (Small Construction Permit) for small construction projects (involving less than one acre of soil disturbance) within the Truckee River watershed portion of Placer County. The Water Board has found Placer County's Small Construction Project Regulatory Program (required by the State Water Resources Control Board's Small Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System General Permit) to be acceptable. Permits for storm water and other construction waste discharges from these projects will now be issued and overseen by Placer County.

The one exception to this change in project oversight will be for projects, regardless of size, that involve disturbance to surface waters, including wetlands, or within the 100-year floodplain of the Truckee River or its tributaries. Project applicants must still obtain a written prohibition exemption from the Water Board prior to disturbing any of these features. Application information for prohibition exemptions is available at: https://www.waterboards.ca.gov/lahontan/water_issues/programs/clean_water_act_401/.

Existing enrollees under the Lahontan Water Board's Small Construction Permit must continue to comply with permit requirements and pay annual fees until the Lahontan Water Board is notified, as required, of project completion, and permit revocation is approved.

To contact Placer County regarding small construction projects and permitting, please contact the Placer County Community Development Resource Agency at ACSulliv@placer.ca.gov or (530) 581-6203.