NC Neuse / Tar-Pamlico / Jordan / Falls / Randleman / Catawba Basin Riparian Buffer Rules (15A NCAC 02B) (NC)
Tracked preemption from the North Carolina overlay bundle.
Overview
← All state preemptionsNorth Carolina overlay roll-upNorth Carolina zoning wikiNorth Carolina building codesFederal overlaysGlossaryFederal-conflict: Not flagged
Effective
1997-08-01
Sunset
—
Authority
state
Scope
state:NC
Other North Carolina preemptions
NC S.L. 2024-43 (HB 250) — Public Safety / Other Changes Omnibus (placeholder — zoning provisions unverified)NC S.L. 2023-108 (HB 409) — Statewide By-Right ADU MandateNC GS §160D-907 — Family Care Homes as Residential UseNC GS §160D-910 — Manufactured Housing Anti-ExclusionNC GS §160D-914 — Residential Solar Collector ProtectionNC GS §160D-921 — Tree Ordinance Local-Act RequirementNC GS §160D-903 — Bona Fide Farm Exemption from County ZoningNC HB 130 (2021) — Vested Rights Protections for Permit Applications
Trigger predicate
When this evaluates true for a parcel, the law's preempted fields take precedence over base zoning.
OR
parcel.in_neuse_or_tar_pamlico_basin==Trueparcel.in_jordan_or_falls_lake_watershed==Trueparcel.in_randleman_lake_watershed==Trueparcel.in_catawba_basin==True
Preempted fields
3 fields on the base district schema are rewritten when the trigger fires.
| Field | Op | Value | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
base_districts[*].riparian_buffer_ft | floor_at | 50 | 50-ft buffer on perennial AND intermittent streams, lakes, ponds, estuaries; Zone 1 (30 ft, no disturbance) + Zone 2 (20 ft, limited disturbance) |
base_districts[*].buffer_zone_1_disturbance | waive | — | Zone 1 (streamward 30 ft) is no-disturbance; specific exemptions list governs |
review_type | require | deq_buffer_authorization | Buffer impact requires DEQ DWR authorization (Allowable, Allowable w/ Mitigation, or Prohibited classification per 15A NCAC 02B .0233 et seq.) |
Citation
Authority source
15A NCAC 02B .0233 (Neuse), .0259 (Tar-Pamlico), .0267 (Jordan), .0275 (Falls), .0250 (Randleman), .0243 (Catawba); NCGS §143-214.23A
§ 15A NCAC 02B .0233 / .0243 / .0250 / .0259 / .0267 / .0275
Research notes
Mandatory 50-ft riparian buffer rule for nutrient-sensitive waters (NSW) and Catawba protected mainstem. Applies basin-wide regardless of underlying zoning. Counties: Neuse rule covers 18 counties (Durham, Wake, Johnston, Wayne, Lenoir, Craven, etc.); Tar-Pamlico covers 13; Jordan watershed covers parts of Orange, Durham, Chatham, Wake, Alamance; Falls Lake covers Wake, Durham, Granville, Person, Franklin; Randleman covers parts of Guilford, Randolph; Catawba (.0243) covers mainstem Catawba reservoirs in Avery, Burke, Caldwell, Catawba, Gaston, Iredell, Lincoln, McDowell, Mecklenburg counties (50-ft buffer on full pond elevation of the 11 mainstem reservoirs incl. Lake James, Rhodhiss, Hickory, Lookout Shoals, Norman, Mountain Island, Wylie). Buffer table classifies activities Exempt / Allowable / Allowable w/ Mitigation / Prohibited. NC General Assembly periodically tweaks (HB 765 / S.L. 2015-246 narrowed application to NCDOT and ag; S.L. 2014-120 narrowed Catawba buffer). Buffer compliance is checked at NCDEQ DWR, not the local zoning department.