When your property is located IN a regulated floodplain area, (near a small stream, creek or river). A permit must be secured from the Floodplain Office BEFORE you begin any of the following activities:

• Construction or remodeling of buildings or structures (i.e. barn, garage, house)
• placement of mobile homes (i.e., singlewide, doublewide, modular)
• mining
• dredging (i.e. streams, creeks, ditches, channels)
• filling (i.e. only clean fill dirt is permitted in a floodplain area)
• grading, excavating
• storage of materials (i.e. hay, junk cars, farm equipment)
• placement of culverts

HOW DO I KNOW IF I’M LOCATED IN A FLOODPLAIN AREA?
Most generally, if you are located near a river or small stream, your chance of being in a regulated Floodplain area is very certain. 

 This should be the first thing a property owner should investigate prior to starting construction. Most development mistakes are made because the property owner did not know or make the effort to find out if the development site was located in the Floodplain before construction began. As a result the development was built in violation of the Floodplain regulations.

HOW TO AVOID PENALTIES?
To be certain, call or stop by the Floodplain Office, at the Courthouse and locate your property on the Floodplain maps to verify your Flood Hazard Zone. Making a Floodplain verification and addressing the development permit process can save you time and money as well as avoid possible misdemeanor penalties.