Council approves ordinance tightening setbacks for lakes, streams and irrigation ditches in Snyderville Basin

The Summit County Council voted unanimously to adopt Ordinance 9-55, amending several Snyderville Basin development-code sections to consolidate water-feature definitions and set uniform setbacks.

Planning staff explained the main changes: the code consolidates lake and pond into a single "body of still water" category with a 50-foot setback for features larger than a quarter acre; it replaces "intermittent stream" language with a perennial-stream definition and sets a 100-foot setback for perennial rivers/streams; and it establishes a 15-foot setback from irrigation ditches and canals. Staff said the 50-foot threshold was modeled on nearby jurisdictions (likened to a Teton County approach) but adjusted to a quarter-acre for local conditions. The proposal includes an asterisked exception allowing two existing ponds in North Shore/Silver Springs to remain essentially as-is because homes were built close to those ponds.

Council members raised questions about distinguishing natural versus manmade ponds and noted scenarios — for example a homeowner excavating a pond — that could create policy ambiguities. Staff recommended and council agreed that a separate, more detailed riparian ordinance should be researched and returned later to address multi-tier setbacks and specific protections for natural riparian areas.

What happens next: Ordinance 9-55 is effective as adopted; staff will continue work on riparian classifications and return with more detailed language and implementation guidance.