Georgia Water/Laws/Mountain and River Corridor Protection Act

Georgia Mountain and River Corridor Protection Act, O.C.G.A. §§ 12-2-8

General Description

This Act authorizes the Department of Natural Resources to develop minimum standards for the protection of river corridors (and mountains, watersheds, and wetlands) that can be adopted by local governments.

Administration

The Act is administered by the Environmental Protection Division of the Department of Natural Resources.

Applicability

All rivers in Georgia with an average annual flow of 400 cubic feet per second are covered by the Act, except those within the jurisdiction of the Coastal Marshlands Protection Act.

Various Provisions

Some of the major provisions of the Act include:

1. Requirements for a 100-foot vegetative buffer on both sides of rivers
2. Consistency with the Georgia Erosion and Sedimentation Act

Local governments must identify river corridors in land-use plans developed under their respective comprehensive planning acts.

References

• O.C.G.A. §§ 12-2-8