Washington County, Iowa wind ordinance
Wind: 100 ft (horizontal distance) setback from structure located on another property, 100 ft (horizontal distance) setback from power line located on another property. Every figure is quoted from the county's ordinance, read October 7, 2026.
Updated October 2026
Wind rules
4 figures read from the county's ordinance, each with the sentence it comes from.
| Rule and what the ordinance says | Requirement |
|---|---|
Setback from structure located on another propertyhorizontal distanceAny tower or rotor shall maintain a distance of at least 100 horizontal feet from any structure, power line, or antenna located on another property. | 100 ft |
Setback from power line located on another propertyhorizontal distanceAny tower or rotor shall maintain a distance of at least 100 horizontal feet from any structure, power line, or antenna located on another property. | 100 ft |
Setback from antenna located on another propertyhorizontal distanceAny tower or rotor shall maintain a distance of at least 100 horizontal feet from any structure, power line, or antenna located on another property. | 100 ft |
Fence heightcommercial WECS tower baseA fence eight feet high with a locking gate shall be placed around any commercial WECS tower base; or the tower climbing apparatus shall begin no lower than twelve feet above ground. | 8 ft |
Source: Washington County ordinance (PDF), read October 7, 2026. Check the cited section with the county before relying on a figure.
Iowa state law
State law can cap or override county rules. All Iowa rules and counties.
State siting: Iowa Utilities Commission (formerly Iowa Utilities Board)
A plant of 25 MW or more needs a state certificate before construction.
Iowa Code 476A.1(5), 476A.2. Source
Limits on local rules
For plants of 25 MW or more, the state may issue its certificate even if the project does not meet county zoning; no limit was found for smaller projects.
Iowa Code 476A.5(3). Source
Every Iowa figure in one spreadsheet
114 figures from 17 counties, each with its quote, source, date read and any condition. 3 of those places are not on this site. Plus the 8 moratoria and bans on file and Iowa state law.
How these figures were read
We found Washington County's own ordinance and had two AI models read it separately. A figure is shown only when both read the same number and the sentence it comes from was found in the document. Moratoria and bans are checked against the adopting document. Ordinances change and many figures apply only in some cases, so check the cited section with the county before relying on one.