Floodplain Management Publications and Grants

Model zoning ordinances documents

As of July 18, 2017, a new standard model floodplain ordinance and model floodplain ordinance with flood storage language will be in effect. The appropriate model should be used by any community amending or adopting a floodplain ordinance after that date.

For copies of the documents listed below in Microsoft Word format or for copies of earlier versions of the model ordinances, please contact DNR Floodplains

Laws and regulations

Chapter NR 116, Wis. Adm. Code. - Wisconsin's Floodplain management program

Sample letters and documents

Example Flooding easement document

Newsletters

Handbooks and other publications

Floodplain Management in Wisconsin Quick Guide (2019)
The floods of 1993: The Wisconsin experience - DNR
Living in the Floodplain - DNR
From sandbags to sanity: Dealing with flood risk in Wisconsin - University of Wisconsin aquatic sciences center copyright 2010
Come rain, come shine - A case study of A Floodplain relocation project at soldiers grove, Wisconsin
Gays Mills long-term recovery plan
Plan commission handbook - Center for Land Use Education
Zoning board handbook for zoning boards of adjustment and appeals - 2nd Ed 2006
The upper Mississippi river system flow frequency study - US Army Corps of Engineers
Historical flooding events and costs, 1971-2001 Wisconsin Emergency Management
Campground structures in a floodplain guidance
Letter of Map Change (LOMC) process guidance

Substantial Damage Guidance Packets

Fact sheets

Incorporation and the NFIP - Fact sheets about the incorporating community and the NFIP
FEMA National Flood Insurance Program - Fact sheets about Flood insurance, letters of map change, NFIP guidelines, etc. FEMA
How to make a FIRMette
Floodplain development basics
FEMA flood insurance basics

For more information about fact sheets, or if you have a suggestion, contact:
DNR Floodplains.

Municipal flood control grant program

Recognizing that we have a responsibility to protect life, health and property from flood damages, the DNR officers the Municipal Flood Control Grant Program. It is an assistance package to all cities, villages, towns and metropolitan sewerage districts concerned with municipal flood control management. Assistance is provided in two ways.

Local assistance grants that support municipal flood control administrative activities.
Acquisition and development grants to acquire and remove floodplain structures, elevate floodplain structures, restore riparian areas, acquire land and easements for flood storage, construct flood control structures and fund flood mapping projects.

Flood mitigation assistance grants

Communities are encouraged to develop flood mitigation plans which assess flood risk and identify actions to reduce that risk. Floodplain mitigation grants are available to communities which have flood mitigation plans in place which are approved by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) as well as Wisconsin Emergency Management.

For more information, contact:
Guen Drewes
State Hazard Mitigation Officer
Wisconsin Emergency Management
608-957-5715

There are two types of grants available to communities:

Planning grants - grants to communities to develop or update flood mitigation plans.
Project grants - grants to communities to implement measures to reduce flood losses. This could take the form of such things as elevating, relocating, or dry floodproofing of insured structures.

Hazard mitigation grants

The Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) assists state and local governments in implementing long-term hazard mitigation measures following a major disaster declaration.

Objectives of the HMGP are:

To prevent future losses of lives and property due to disasters;
To implement state or local mitigation plans;
To enable mitigation measures to be implemented during immediate recovery from a disaster;
Provide funding for mitigation measures that benefit the disaster area.

Grants provide up to 87.5% of the eligible costs (75% funded by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and 12.5% by the Wisconsin Division of Emergency Management.) The remaining 12.5% is a required local match. Federal funding under the HMGP is based on 15% of the federal funds spent on the Public and Individual Assistance programs for each disaster.

Eligible applicants are:

state and local governments;
Certain private, non-profit organizations or institutions; and
Indian tribes or authorized tribal organization.

Examples of eligible projects are:

retrofitting, such as floodproofing;
acquisition and relocation of structures from hazard prone areas;
development of standards to protect structures; and
structural hazard control such as debris basins or floodwalls.

Eligible projects are required to demonstrate:

the project is cost/beneficial;
the project is environmentally sound;
other alternatives have been considered; and
the project is the best alternative and will actually solve a problem and is a permanent solution.

Eligible applicants apply for the HMGP through Wisconsin Emergency Management.