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What must an erosion and sediment control plan include?

On a permitted construction site, the erosion and sediment control plan is part of the SWPPP. Under EPA's 2022 Construction General Permit it must cover perimeter controls downslope of disturbed areas, track-out, stockpiles, dust, steep slopes, topsoil, inlet protection, discharge velocity, any sediment basin, and stabilization started by the end of the next business day once work stops for 14 or more days, then finished within 14 days (7 days when more than 5 acres are disturbed at once). Many cities and counties also require their own erosion control plan. EPA 2022 CGP Part 2.2, 2.2.14

National guide. The rules cited are from EPA's 2022 Construction General Permit (as modified in 2025), checked October 20, 2026, which applies where EPA is the permitting authority. Most states issue their own permit with different details; check your state before relying on a number.

Last reviewed October 19, 2026. Prepared by our team led by Mohamed Elansary, PhD. We are not a licensed engineering firm and do not seal plans. General information, not legal advice; the permit text controls.

General design rules

Design controls for the expected amount, frequency, intensity and duration of rain, the nature of the runoff, and the site's soils; install them following good engineering practices and applicable design specifications; have the downgradient sediment controls working before earth disturbance starts in each portion of the site; and keep them in effective condition, finishing routine maintenance by the close of the next business day (or, where that is infeasible and documented, within 7 calendar days). EPA 2022 CGP Part 2.1.1-2.1.4

Required erosion and sediment controls (EPA 2022 CGP Part 2.2)

Requirement	What it means
Natural buffers	Keep natural buffers, or equivalent controls, next to receiving waters on or near the site. EPA 2022 CGP Part 2.2.1
Vegetated areas	Direct runoff to vegetated areas to increase infiltration and filtering. EPA 2022 CGP Part 2.2.2
Perimeter controls	Sediment controls along perimeter areas downslope of disturbed soil, installed on the contour with ends turned upslope; remove sediment before it reaches half the above-ground height. EPA 2022 CGP Part 2.2.3
Track-out	Minimize sediment tracked onto roads. EPA 2022 CGP Part 2.2.4
Stockpiles	Manage soil and debris piles to prevent discharges. EPA 2022 CGP Part 2.2.5
Dust, slopes, topsoil, compaction	Minimize dust and steep-slope disturbance, preserve native topsoil unless infeasible, and minimize compaction where vegetation will follow. EPA 2022 CGP Part 2.2.6-2.2.9
Storm drain inlets	Install inlet protection on storm drain inlets that carry site runoff to a receiving water, where you have access; remove sediment piled next to it by the end of the same business day, or the next if that is not feasible. EPA 2022 CGP Part 2.2.10
Discharge velocity	Control peak flow and total volume to minimize channel and streambank erosion at outlets. EPA 2022 CGP Part 2.2.11
Sediment basins (if used)	Outside receiving waters and buffers, not collecting water from wetlands, sized for the 2-year, 24-hour storm or 3,600 cubic feet per acre drained, with surface-withdrawal outlets unless infeasible. EPA 2022 CGP Part 2.2.12
Treatment chemicals (if used)	Extra conditions apply, and cationic chemicals need EPA Regional Office approval before the NOI. EPA 2022 CGP Part 2.2.13, 1.1.9

SWPPP Desk does not take sites that need a sediment basin or BMPs requiring engineering design; the checkout's site check stops those orders before payment.

Stabilization deadlines

Disturbed at any one time	Start	Finish
5 acres or less (including larger projects phased to stay at 5 acres or less at once)	Immediately, meaning by the end of the next business day, where work has permanently stopped or will be inactive 14 or more calendar days	No later than 14 calendar days after starting
More than 5 acres	Same trigger	No later than 7 calendar days after starting

EPA 2022 CGP Part 2.2.14, Table 2 and footnotes 38-40 Arid, semi-arid and drought-stricken areas have a separate schedule. EPA 2022 CGP Part 2.2.14 Final stabilization is required before you can end coverage, with photographs submitted with the Notice of Termination. EPA 2022 CGP Part 8.2.1

Pollution prevention and dewatering

An erosion control plan alone is not the whole SWPPP: the permit also requires pollution prevention for fueling, washing, materials, washout and fertilizers, and controls for dewatering water. EPA 2022 CGP Part 2.3, 2.4 See what goes in a SWPPP plan.

Local erosion control plans

Cities, counties and states often require a separate erosion and sediment control plan for a grading or site permit, and some require it to be prepared or sealed by a licensed professional. EPA's SWPPP must also document compliance with other requirements that apply. EPA 2022 CGP Part 7.2.9 For example, Austin's Environmental Criteria Manual requires its erosion and sedimentation control plan to be signed by a Texas PE or a CPESC; see Austin. Our checkout asks whether your city or county requires a sealed or stamped plan and stops the order if it does.

How state permits differ: one example

Rule	EPA 2022 CGP	Texas TXR150000
Storm inspection trigger	0.25 inch of rain in 24 hours (or snowmelt from 3.25 inches of snow) on the 14-day schedule EPA 2022 CGP Part 4.2.2	0.5 inch of rain on the 14-day schedule TXR150000 Part III.F.8(c)
Who files a Notice of Intent	All operators, at least 14 calendar days before work EPA 2022 CGP Part 1.4.3	Primary operator of a large site (5 acres or more) before work; small sites post a site notice instead TXR150000 Part II.E.2-3
Filing system	EPA NeT EPA 2022 CGP Part 1.4.2	TCEQ STEERS TCEQ

State hubs with the permit, agency and inspection rules for each state we have checked: Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington, West Virginia. Texas specifics are on the Texas hub.

What this page does not cover

Engineering design of sediment basins, channels or treatment systems, city drainage criteria, and landscaping or tree protection ordinances.

Have it written for you

SWPPP Desk prepares site-specific SWPPPs from your drawings for construction sites in the states we cover (coverage by state), for a fixed price, delivered the next business day after your inputs are complete. Small site (1 to under 5 acres): $449. Large site (5 acres or more): $749. Background: all guides.

Small site: $449 Large site: $749