FLOOD03024

• County: Statewide
• Community: State
• Basin: Statewide
• Title: Addressing Your Community's Flood Problems - A Guide for Elected Officials
• Date: 1/1/1996
• Prepared For: Assn. Of State Floodplain Managers
• Prepared By: Floodplain Management Group
• Floodplain - Doc Type: Educational/Technical/Reference Information

SUCCESS STORIES

professional business park, strip mall, 18-hole professionally designed golf course, and a 2,000-square-foot

clubhouse. Plans called for approximately 50 "estate" lots, ranging in price from $65,000 to $85,000 each,

along the Missouri River. Areas were also set aside for denser, zero-lot-line residences as well.

This was to be the largest single development from Minneapolis to Denver to Kansas City. The

economic considerations were overwhelming, not only for Union County, but the entire tri-state area

of South Dakota, Iowa, and Nebraska. The developers were aggressively pursuing their own exit off

Interstate 29 at mile marker one, in South Dakota. They announced that Arnold Palmer was to design

their golf course and was to get professional tournaments sponsored here. They were working on

legislation to address their development's needs and legal requirements.

Naturally, much of this land was flood-prone and a re-study was immediately started. Changes had

occurred since the last flood study and it was felt that due to these changes, a new floodplain may be

realized and also we would have new and current base flood elevation data to work with, as this area

was never engineered for the determination of base flood elevation. The study revealed that there were

numerous lots still in the floodplain, after the re-study, and certain construction practices would have

to be adhered to, as outlined by the floodplain ordinance. Union County was zoned and building

permits were required. Union County is also a participant of the National Flood Insurance Program. The

determined developers were not about to let this deter them from realizing their goals. They decided

to work with Union County and the NFlP regulations to effect the best possible result. From that point

on, it was win/win for both of us. Together, they worked with Union County, the state of South Dakota

and all other federal agencies to make this the newest and most state of the art community it envisioned.

Union County was able to interpret the regulations and apply these principles and practices into a sound

overall floodplain management program, and, now working hand in hand with the developers, were

able to effect a community today known as Dakota Dunes, South Dakota.

Dakota Dunes today has a growing population of approximately 750 residents and does, in fact,

have its own Interstate exit at mile marker one, an 18 hole IJ Arnold Palmer" designed golf course with

an annual pro-am tournament, a 2,OOO-square-foot clubhouse and a growing business park. It currently

has approximately 200 homes ranging in value from $140,000 to $4 million. There are also numerous

townhomes and apartment buildings, all located to complement each other. There is a medical facility

specializing in same-day surgery, numerous buildings offering office space for lease, and Iowa Beef

Processors, the nation's largest beef processor, recently announced plans to locate their corporate offices

here. Construction is constant. The developers and architects and I were able to integrate good flood-

plain management techniques into the overall construction to the benefit of both Union County and

Dakota Dunes' Community Improvement District.

Union County has since had two storms in which high water levels were of great concern, one of

which where the adjacent counties in South Dakota were Presidentially declared flood disaster areas.

At neither time were any structures in Dakota Dunes in danger of being flooded.

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