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<br />FLOODPLAIN MANAGEMENT <br /> <br />Local Ordinance Requirements <br /> <br />Floodplains are regulated by communities in Colorado on the local level. Communities <br />adopt an ordinance or regulation which broadly outlines performance standards required <br />for any development in identified flood hazard areas, In Colorado and nationally, special <br />standards are applied for development and/or construction for lands within the 100-year <br />floodplain, <br /> <br />Floodplain regulations require new development and significant improvement of existing <br />development cannot occur in the 100-year floodplain without a Floodplain Development <br />Permit. This permit is issued by the local government. To obtain a Floodplain <br />Development Permit, the project must comply with floodplain related engineering <br />standards. For floodplains which are defined using approximate methods, the <br />engineering standards required for a Floodplain Development Permit are fairly broad. <br />For example, structures must be built with materials and techniques that "minimize flood <br />damages" to the structures. For floodplains defined using detailed studies, more specific <br />regulations apply and a Floodplain Development Permit may require comprehensive <br />engineering analysis. <br /> <br />Flood Insurance <br /> <br />Flood insurance is available to owners and occupants of flood prone property through the <br />federal government's National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). The federally backed <br />flood insurance is available to anyone in any community, such as Saguache, which <br />participates in the NFIP, Communities become participants by adopting floodplain <br />regulations, adopting an NFIP map (if one exists) and agreeing to cooperate with the <br />federal government in the local implementation of the NFIP. Property owners and <br />occupants can then contact an insurance agent familiar with the NFIP (perhaps their own <br />agent) and purchase insurance through that agent, much like they would purchase <br />homeowner's insurance. Brochures and other information regarding the National Flood <br />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 />Floodplain Manal!ement Alternatives <br /> <br />Besides floodplain regulations and flood insurance, there are many actions that can <br />reduce the risk of flood damage in a community. Generally these actions fall into two <br />classes; structural actions and non-structural actions. Structural actions involve the <br />construction of facilities to separate floodwaters from property that is at risk. They <br />include construction of improved channels, enlargement of crossing structures (bridges <br />and culverts), levees and floodwalls, reservoirs and ponds to detain floodwaters, and <br />diversion channels and pipes to direct waters elsewhere. Non-structural actions usually <br />involve removing people and/or structures from the risk area without physically altering <br />the floodplain, Actions include regulation of new development, the adoption and <br /> <br />13 <br />