Flood Hazard Management Planning

The county addresses flood control issues through a comprehensive flood hazard management planning program that incorporates a selection of planning, engineering, and environmental protection measures.

Traditional flood control measures generally refer to engineering projects intended to control flood waters, such as the building of levees and dikes and dredging rivers. Nationwide the current focus is on floodplain management, which refers to the operation of an overall program of preventative measures to reduce flood damage.

Responsibilities

The county's floodplain management actions include:

• Participation in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP).
• Adoption of floodplain development regulations (see Flood Hazard Areas Bulletin No. 42) that meet NFIP requirements.
• Participation in an NFIP Incentive Program and Community Rating System (CRS).
• Preparation of emergency preparedness plans.
• Preparation of comprehensive flood hazard management plans for the main rivers, which propose actions to minimize future flood damage.

Flood Hazard Management Plans

• Sauk River Flood / Erosion Hazard Management Plan
• Snohomish River Comprehensive Flood Control Management Plan
• Stillaguamish River Comprehensive Flood Hazard Management Plan, February 2004
• North Creek Comprehensive Flood Hazard Management Plan - Draft report to be updated to incorporate Endangered Species Act (ESA) requirements
• Skykomish Comprehensive Flood Hazard Management Plan - Draft report to be updated to incorporate ESA requirements
• Snohomish County Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan (SCNHMP) - Addresses nine types of natural disasters (including flooding) that could occur in Snohomish County, assessing risk levels and proposing mitigation actions to minimize damage, updated and adopted September 2010