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<br />FLOODPLAIN MANAGEMENT <br /> <br />Local Ordinance/StatutOry ReQuirements <br /> <br />Communities which 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 which 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 lOO-year floodplain. <br /> <br />The basic requirement of these regulations is that new development and significant improvement of <br />existing development cannot occur in the lOO-year floodplain without a floodplain development <br />pennit being obtained, Obtaining such a permit requires compliance with engineering standards, In <br />communities like Lake County 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 lOO-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 the <br />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, Lake <br />County was not participating in the NFIP. Communities become participants by adopting <br />floodplain 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 occupants can <br />then contact an insurance agent familiar with the NFIP (perhaps their own agent) and purchase <br />insurance through that agent, much like they would purchase homeowner's insurance. Brochures <br />and other information regarding the National Flood Insurance Program can be obtained by calling <br />the Regional Office of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in Denver at (303) <br />235-4830. <br /> <br />Floodplain Manal!ement Alternatives <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 />physically altering the floodplain. Actions include regulation of new development, the adoption <br />