Floodplain Management and Wetlands Protection

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The location of lands within designated 100-year floodplains are mapped by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. For more information on FEMA floodplain maps.
Flood Hazard Mapping

Proposed project sites should be outside the base (i.e. 100-year) floodplain whenever Federal assistance is requested for the project. Executive Order 11988 discourages Federal agencies from initiating or participating in new construction within areas having special flood hazards. Evaluating projects should consider both potential flood hazard on site as well as off site resulting from project construction. To determine the applicability of floodplain management issues to the site, consult the FEMA Flood Hazard Mapping site to determine whether the proposed site lies within either Flood Zone A or V—also referred to as the 100-year floodplain. If these issues are relevant to the project, consult the Environmental Contact in your area to determine how to best mitigate against these concerns.

Is the property located within a flood hazard area or designated wetland? . [http://www.fema.gov/about/programs/nfip/index.shtm]

Threshold: Projects located within a floodplain and new construction located within a designated wetland are subject to Executive Order 11988 (Floodplain Management) and Executive Order 11990 (Protection of Wetlands) respectively. HUD's implementing regulations at 24 CFR Part 55--Floodplain Management, prescribe measures for protecting floodplains and wetlands. For proposed financial assistance for such activities, including "substantial improvement" (see definition below) of existing single-family properties within a floodplain, HUD will require 30 to 60 days in most cases to perform the required processing. Assisted new construction located within a designated wetland is subject to HUD's decision-making process under E.O. 11990.

Assisted property acquisition, repair, rehabilitation, conversion, new construction and project-based leasing located within a floodplain are subject to HUD's decision-making process under E.O. 11988. The decision-making process does not apply to existing single-family properties proposed for lease or acquisition involving either non-substantial improvement or no improvement as long as the existing property is not located within a floodway or coastal high hazard area. Under these executive orders, HUD must avoid financial support for covered activities, unless it can demonstrate that there are no practicable alternatives outside the floodplain or wetlands. Where flood-free and wetland-free sites are available within the community or housing market area, these are considered practicable.

Definition: "Substantial improvement" for flood hazard purposes is defined in 24 CFR 55.2(b)(8).

Documentation: Grantees are to select A_ or B_ for the condition that best describes their project and document the source of the information.

1. The grantee provides HUD with a finding that the property is located within the Special Flood Hazard Area and/or designated wetlands. The response as to whether a property is located within a Special Flood Hazard Area or designated wetlands can be made as follows: oTo make a wetlands finding, the grantee would use maps issued by the Department of the Interior (DOI) for the National Inventory of Wetlands. o To make a floodplain finding, the grantee would use maps issued by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for the National Flood Insurance Program.
2. The grantee provides HUD with a letter of finding that the property is not located within the Special Flood Hazard Area or designated wetlands. These findings should cite the map panel number of the official maps issued by DOI and FEMA on the basis of which the findings were made. [http://www.fema.gov/about/programs/nfip/index.shtm]