Environmental Rules in Summit County, CO (2026)

Flood Zones

Summit County, Colorado regulates floodplain development under Chapter 4 of the Summit County Land Use and Development Code, with permit procedures governed by Section 4110 (Floodplain Development Permit). The Summit County Engineer serves as the NFIP Floodplain Administrator for unincorporated Summit County. FEMA has identified more than 1,000 properties in Summit County as being located in a regulatory floodplain. Special Flood Hazard Areas are mapped along the Blue River, Ten Mile Creek, Snake River, Swan River, Straight Creek, and other tributaries draining the Continental Divide and Tenmile Range, where steep terrain, snowmelt runoff, and ice jams produce high-energy flood risk. The county participates in the National Flood Insurance Program in good standing, in accordance with FEMA regulations under Title 44 of the Code of Federal Regulations and Colorado Water Conservation Board floodplain rules (2 CCR 408-1).