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<br />. <br /> <br />FLOODPLAIN MANAGEMENT <br /> <br />Local Ordinance/Statutorv Requirements <br /> <br />Communities that manage their floodplains in Colorado do so most often through the local <br />regulatory process. This requires a community to adopt an ordinance or regulation that sets forth <br />the performance standards by which development will occur in identified flood hazard areas. <br />Nationwide and in Colorado, regulations are enforced within the area of the I DO-year floodplain. <br /> <br />The basic requirement of these regulations is that new development and significant improvement <br />of existing development cannot occur in the I DO-year floodplain without a floodplain development <br />permit being obtained. Obtaining such a permit requires compliance with engineering standards. <br />In communities like Ramah that have no detailed floodplain information with water surface <br />elevations, the engineering standards are general. Structures must be built with materials and <br />techniques that "minimize flood damages." In communities that have detailed floodplain <br />information the standards require that residential buildings must be elevated above the 100-year <br />elevation and that non-residential buildings must be either elevated or floodproofed. Other <br />structures or projects (i.e. bridges, culverts or fill) must be constructed in a way that minimizes <br />the potential increase in flood elevations they may cause. <br /> <br />. Flood Insurance <br /> <br />Flood insurance is made available to owners and occupants of floodprone property through the <br />federal government's National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). The NFIP insurance is available <br />to anyone in any community that participates in the NFIP. At the time of this publication, <br />Ramah was participating in the NFIP. The town entered the program on August 5, 1986. <br />Communities become participants by adopting floodplain regulations, adopting an NFIP map (if <br />one exists) and agreeing to cooperate with the federal government in the local implementation <br />of the NFIP. Property owners and occupants can then contact an insurance agent familiar with <br />the NFIP (perhaps their own agent) and purchase insurance through that agent, much like they <br />would purchase homeowner's insurance. Brochures and other information regarding the National <br />Flood Insurance Program can be obtained by calling the Regional Office of the Federal <br />Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in Denver at (303) 235-4830. <br /> <br />Floodolain Manal!ement Alternatives <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />Besides floodplain regulations and flood insurance, there are many actions that can reduce the risk <br />of flood damage in a community. Generally these actions fall into two classes, structural actions <br />and non-structural actions. Structural actions involve the construction of facilities to separate <br />floodwaters from property that is at risk. They include construction of improved channels, <br />enlargement of crossing structures (bridges and culverts), levees and floodwalls, reservoirs and <br />ponds to detain floodwaters and diversion channels and pipes to direct waters elsewhere. Non- <br />structural actions usually involve removing people and/or structures from the risk without <br />