Drain Permit

A Drain permit is required to perform any of the following activities on a County Drain:

  • Bridge or culvert installation
  • Sediment removal/dredging
  • Relocation of a County Drain
  • Enclosure of a County Drain
  • Construction of a ditch or pipeline bringing water into a County Drain

Additional permits may be required for any or all of these activities
Download Drain permit

Maintenance may be performed on County Drains, within certain limits, without a petition. Currently the limitations are that no more than $5,000/mile/year may be spent on maintenance of a Drain. Another limitation is that culverts and bridges may only be replaced or repaired during a petitioned project.

In general, maintenance of a Drain may consist of any of the following activities:

  • Removal of obstructions
  • Modest sediment removal projects
  • Erosion control projects
  • Spot repairs on pipelines
  • Vegetation management


Under a variety of laws, the MDEQ issues permits for various activities. Some of these activities are:

  • Installation of seawalls
  • Bridge or culvert installation
  • Dredging a lake or stream
  • Construction sites disturbing more than 5 acres
  • Draining or filling of wetlands
  • Construction in the floodplain
Frequently Asked Questions

Feature Content #4 (No Title) - Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et.

Any activity that a land owner undertakes within a Drain Right-of-Way is undertaken at the land owner's risk. Land owners who have occupied or who contemplate somewhat permanent occupation of a portion of a Right-of-Way may wish to request a license for this occupation to spell out the rights and responsibilities of each of the parties. A license may or may not be granted depending upon the individual circumstances involved. Contact the Drain Commissioner to discuss this issue.