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Bethlehem, PA Environmental Rules: Flood Zones (2026)

Significant Restrictions

Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

FEMA flood zone rules in Bethlehem, PA, also called floodplain regulations or special flood hazard area (SFHA) rules, determine flood insurance requirements and elevation standards for new construction.

Key Facts

Floodway default: No development unless flood-height impact fully offset
Permitted uses: Farming, outdoor recreation, unimproved open space only
Other uses: Need Zoning Hearing Board special exception
Stream alteration permit: Required from PA DEP Dams & Encroachment Division
Hazardous materials cap: 550 gallons; radioactive substances barred entirely
Basis for mapping: FEMA Flood Insurance Study for City of Bethlehem

FEMA Flood Zone Lookup

FEMA assigns every parcel in the U.S. a flood-hazard designation on its Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs). Zones starting with A or V are high-risk Special Flood Hazard Areas where federally backed mortgages require NFIP flood insurance. Zone X indicates moderate-to-minimal risk, where insurance is optional but often recommended. Your specific zone determines insurance cost, build elevation, and permit requirements in Bethlehem, PA.

Zone	What it means	NFIP required?
A	High-risk flood area; 1% annual chance flood, no detailed analysis.	Yes
AE	High-risk; same as A but with established Base Flood Elevations.	Yes
AH	High-risk shallow flooding (1-3 ft), usually ponding.	Yes
AO	High-risk shallow flooding (1-3 ft) with sheet flow on sloping terrain.	Yes
V	High-risk coastal zone subject to wave action (no BFE).	Yes
VE	High-risk coastal zone with wave action and established BFEs.	Yes
X (shaded)	Moderate risk; between the 1% and 0.2% annual chance flood.	Recommended
X	Minimal risk; outside the 0.2% annual chance floodplain.	No

Look up Bethlehem, PA on the FEMA flood map

FEMA maps update periodically; verify zone before buying flood insurance or building.

Summary

Bethlehem bans ordinary development inside the Floodway District overlay established by Article 1327 unless the effect on flood heights is fully offset by state-approved stream improvements. Only agriculture, outdoor recreation, and similar unimproved uses are allowed outright; structures, fill, and most other activities need a special exception from the Zoning Hearing Board. The district applies wherever the FEMA-based flood study maps the one-hundred-year flood.

In the Floodway District no development shall be permitted except where the effect of such development on flood heights is fully offset by accompanying stream improvements which have been approved by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, Dams and Encroachment Division. (a) Permitted Uses. In the Floodway District the following uses and activities are permitted provided that they are in compliance with the provisions of the Zoning District and are not prohibited by any other Ordinance and provided that they do not require structures, fill, or storage of materials and equipment. (1) Agricultural uses such as general farming, pasture, grazing, outdoor plant nurseries, horticulture, truck farming, forestry, sod farming, and wild crop harvesting. (2) Public and private recreational uses and activities, such as parks, day camps, picnic grounds, golf courses, boat launching and swimming areas, hiking, and horseback riding trails, wildlife and nature preserves, game farms, fish hatcheries, and fishing areas. (3) Miscellaneous uses such as yard areas, gardens, play areas, and pervious parking areas.

View official code

Full Breakdown

Article 1327 creates the Floodway and Flood-Fringe Districts as overlays on top of the regular zoning map, based on the Flood Insurance Study the Federal Insurance Administration prepared for the City of Bethlehem. Wherever the floodway rules conflict with the underlying zoning district's requirements, the more restrictive of the two controls. 05 sets the baseline: in the Floodway District no development is permitted except where the effect on flood heights is fully offset by accompanying stream improvements approved by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection's Dams and Encroachment Division.

Subsection (a) then lists what is allowed outright: farming, pasture, outdoor plant nurseries, forestry, and similar agricultural uses; public and private recreation such as parks, golf courses, and boat launches; and miscellaneous open uses like yard areas, gardens, and pervious parking, as long as none of it requires structures, fill, or stored materials and equipment. Everything else, including accessory structures tied to those permitted uses, utilities, water-related facilities such as marinas and docks, sand and gravel extraction, and temporary uses like circuses or carnivals, needs a special exception from the Zoning Hearing Board under subsection (b).

Before altering or relocating any stream, watercourse, or drainage facility citywide, an applicant also needs a separate permit from the Department of Environmental Protection's Dams and Encroachment Division, with notice going to neighboring municipalities, the Federal Insurance Administration, and the state Department of Community and Economic Development. Article 1327 also bars radioactive substances from the Floodway District entirely and caps other hazardous materials there at 550 gallons even when tied to a permitted use.

Violations & Fines

Floodway violations run through the same Article 1324 enforcement track as the rest of the zoning code: the Zoning Officer can order written correction by certified mail, and a property owner who ignores it faces a fine up to $500 per offense under Section 1324.06, or up to ninety days in jail if the fine isn't paid, with each day of a continuing violation counted separately.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I build in Bethlehem's Floodway District?

Only if the development's effect on flood heights is fully offset by stream improvements approved by the Pennsylvania DEP's Dams and Encroachment Division. Absent that, the Floodway District under Article 1327 limits you to farming, outdoor recreation, and similar open uses that don't need structures, fill, or stored materials and equipment.

What if I want a use that isn't automatically permitted?

You apply to the Zoning Hearing Board for a special exception. That covers accessory structures, utilities, water-related facilities like docks and marinas, sand and gravel extraction, and temporary uses such as carnivals, all listed under Section 1327.05(b).

Do I need a separate permit to alter a stream or drainage ditch?

Yes. Any alteration or relocation of a stream, watercourse, or drainage facility in Bethlehem needs a permit from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection's Dams and Encroachment Division, with notice sent to neighboring municipalities and state and federal flood agencies.

Sources & Official References

[1]City of Bethlehem Ordinances

Other rules in Bethlehem

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All Bethlehem rules

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