Clarke County, GA Environmental Rules: Flood Zones (2026)

Athens-Clarke County is a participating community in the National Flood Insurance Program and administers local floodplain management ordinances that meet or exceed FEMA minimum requirements. Chapter 8-2 (Flood Protection) of the Athens-Clarke County Code of Ordinances regulates development in Special Flood Hazard Areas, including the FEMA-mapped floodplains of the North Oconee River, Middle Oconee River, and their tributaries. Chapter 8-6 (Protected Environmental Areas) supplements the flood ordinance with stream-buffer and protected-environmental-area rules, and the Oconee Rivers Greenway Commission is authorized to recommend rules for the protection of the rivers and their floodplains within the borders of Athens-Clarke County. New construction, additions, substantial improvements, fill, and grading within a designated SFHA require a floodplain development permit issued by the Building Inspections Department; an elevation certificate is required at permit review and again at project completion for final inspection. The substantial improvement threshold is 50% of the market value of the structure (calculated before improvement work, or before the damage occurred for damaged structures) — a substantially improved structure must be brought into full compliance with current floodplain standards, including elevation of the lowest floor to or above the regulatory flood elevation. Property owners can verify flood zones by FEMA Map Service Center (msc.fema.gov) or by contacting Athens-Clarke County Building Inspections (706-613-3640) or Stormwater Management. The county's CRS membership provides flood-insurance premium discounts to NFIP policyholders within Athens-Clarke County.