Floodplain Management

Some areas in shoreland zones also fall under regulations of the Floodplain Management Ordinance. The purpose of this ordinance is to minimize the potential for loss of life and property in flood-prone areas by limiting the placement of residences and structures in those areas. New structures or additions built must be at least one foot above the regulatory floodplain elevation. By enforcing floodplain regulations, county residents can participate in the Federal Flood Insurance Program. Because Big Stone Lake exceeded the 100 yr. flood elevation in both 1997 and 2001, FEMA re-evaluated Big Stone County’s floodplains and published new floodplain maps in April 2006. You can view this new map on our GIS site and select the FEMA maps in the legend or on FEMA’s interactive map site.

The official Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRM) are housed in the Environmental Services Office.