Stream Determinations

Stream determinations help determine whether Durham City/County’s Riparian Buffer Protection Standards (UDO Section 8.5) apply to a property.

These determinations are only required for when a property owner or developer desires to dispute the current buffer widths identified by either the USGS topographic map or NRCS Soil Survey. Durham County staff will perform stream determinations when requested for streams located within the Cape Fear River Basin. Stream determination requests for streams located in the Neuse River Basin are regulated by NCDEQ. 

Buffered water bodies may include: Streams, rivers, springs, lakes, ponds, or wetlands.

The determination between perennial, intermittent, and ephemeral streams is based on hydrological, physical, and biological characteristics of the stream.

Please contact Durham County Stormwater at stormwater@dconc.gov for more information about submitting a Stream Determination Request. To request a stream determination on your property, please complete a Stream Determination Request Form and submit to our Electronic Submittal Portal.