Soil Erosion Control

White Lake Township by authority granted from the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality under Part 91 of Public Act 451, NREPA, administers and enforces soil erosion and sedimentation control regulation within its boundaries. White Lake Township's Soil Erosion and Sedimentation Control Ordinance no. 116 closely resembles Part 91 of P.A. 451 and was adopted by resolution. In brief, soil erosion and sedimentation control is important due the fact that sediment is the greatest pollutant by volume entering our lakes and streams, increased flooding, damage to plant and animal life and structural damage to buildings and roads. A permit is required for any earth change (grading or removal of existing vegetative cover) activity that disturbs one or more acre of land or is within five hundred feet of a lake, stream, pond or river.  Plowing and tilling for crop production and some logging and mining activities are exempt from regulation under Part 91/ordinance 116.  The removal of sand, clay, gravel, peat or topsoil is not considered to be mining and therefore require permits. Additionally, any proposed importation or exportation of soils over 200 cubic yards, not associated with an approved site plan, within a calendar year requires a permit under White Lake Township Mining and Extraction Ordinance No 88.  An electronic copy of Ordinance No 88 is available under the "Reference" section on our homepage.  Please contact the building department for inquiries regarding ordinance No. 88 at 248-698-3300 ext 771.  An electronic copy of Ordinance no. 116 and applications for soil erosion and sedimentation control permits are available in the Ordinance section under Reference.  For information on matters involving soil erosion and sedimentation control, please contact the environmental specialist at (248) 698-3300 ext 190. For further information regarding Part 91 of P.A. 451 and/or the MDEQ SESC program, Please click here.