Riparian Buffers
Riparian buffers are a significant contributor to good water quality. They help filter the stormwater that flows from roads, roofs, and lawns before it reaches the streams. Buffers remove many pollutants such as oil from roads, sediment, and nutrients from over-fertilized lawns. Riparian vegetation also slows floodwaters, trapping sediments to build stream banks and protect downstream property. By slowing down floodwaters and stormwater runoff, the riparian vegetation allows water to soak into the ground and recharge groundwater. For information on what you can do to protect buffers, please visit the Clean Water Education Partnership.
The Town of Apex has riparian buffer requirements in place to protect the quality of our streams. A 100-foot buffer is required on any stream that flows year-round (perennial stream) and a 50-foot buffer on any intermittent stream. The buffer lengths are measured from the top of the stream bank.
The Town also requires diffuse (non-concentrated) flow of runoff prior to entering the buffer. Recent amendments to the Town Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) revised the buffer zones and allowable uses within each zone. More information about the buffer zones and allowable uses can be found in UDO Section 6.1.11.
Persons who wish to undertake uses designated as “allowable” or “allowable with mitigation” in the Table of Uses 6.1.11(G)(1), shall submit a request for a No Practical Alternatives determination to the Town.
If mitigation is required, a Buffer Impact Justification and Mitigation form must also be completed and submitted to the Town.
Watershed Protection Overlay District Map: The Watershed Protection Overlay District Map illustrates the buffered streams in Apex. A shaded green buffer represents a 100ft buffer on a perinneal stream and a blue shaded buffer represents a 50ft buffer on an intermittent stream. The Primary Watershed Protection District (red area) is land identified by the State as water supply watershed protected areas. The Secondary Watershed Protection District (orange area) is all other land within Town of Apex corporate limits and ETJ. Please contact Public Works at (919) 249-3427 for more information about buffered streams on your property.