Floodplain Management
Floodplain management includes corrective and preventive measures designed to reduce flood damage and promote the responsible use of floodplain areas. Benton County’s Floodplain Management Ordinance regulates development within designated Special Flood Hazard Areas, commonly referred to as the 100-year floodplain.
Special Flood Hazard Areas include Zones A, A1–30, AE, AH, AO, AR, and A99, as identified on Benton County’s Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs). These maps can be viewed through the FEMA Flood Map Service Center.
For the purposes of floodplain regulation, development is defined as any man-made change to improved or unimproved real estate, including, but not limited to:
- Buildings or other structures
- Mining
- Dredging
- Filling
- Grading
- Paving
- Excavation
- Drilling operations
- Storage of materials or equipment
A Floodplain Development Permit is required for any development within the 100-year floodplain.
To obtain a permit, complete and submit the Floodplain Development Permit Application, along with any prepared plans, to the Benton County Environmental Health & Land Use Department. Applications may be submitted by email to [email protected].
Either a permit or documentation showing a determination that no permit is required from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers must be included with every application.
