Description: The Seven-Mile Rockdale Reservoir Buffer, also known as the Big Haynes-Alcovy River Protection Overlay District, is a critical environmental protection area established to safeguard the water quality of the Rockdale Reservoir. This overlay district enforces regulations that help control land use, reduce pollution, and manage stormwater runoff, ensuring that the reservoir remains a clean and sustainable water source.The Stormwater Review Team of the Gwinnett County Planning and Development Department utilizes this boundary layer to evaluate development proposals, ensuring compliance with environmental protection standards. The regulations within the overlay district impose enhanced stream buffer requirements, impervious surface limitations, and restrictions on certain high-impact land uses. The overlay applies to land located within seven miles upstream of the Rockdale Reservoir intake, covering portions of the Big Haynes Creek and Alcovy River watersheds. Development within this area is subject to stricter controls compared to standard zoning and environmental regulations, including restrictions on impervious surfaces and requirements for additional stormwater management practices.