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Fond du Lac County, WI Environmental Rules: Flood Zones (2026)

Significant Restrictions

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

FEMA flood zone rules in Fond du Lac County, WI, also called floodplain regulations or special flood hazard area (SFHA) rules, determine flood insurance requirements and elevation standards for new construction.

Key Facts

Governing sections: County Code §§ 28-41 through 28-44
Habitable structures: Prohibited outright in the floodway
Development study: Registered engineer must analyze flood-height impact
Penalty: Forfeiture up to $50 per day of violation
Enforcement path: Corporation counsel prosecution or public-nuisance abatement

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 Fond du Lac County, WI.

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 Fond du Lac County, WI on the FEMA flood map

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

Summary

Unincorporated land mapped in the floodway of Fond du Lac County is limited to open-space uses like farming, parks and boat ramps; habitable structures and most new fill are barred outright. County Code Sec. 28-42 lists what's allowed, Sec. 28-43 requires an engineering study for any encroachment, and violators face a forfeiture of up to $50 per day under Article IX.

These county ordinances apply to unincorporated areas of Fond du Lac County. Incorporated cities within the county may have their own rules that take precedence over county-level regulations.

This section applies to all floodway areas on the floodplain zoning maps and those identified pursuant to section 28-71(5). ... Any encroachment in the regulatory floodway is prohibited unless the data submitted for section 28-43(1)(b) above demonstrates that the encroachment will cause no increase in flood elevations in flood events up to the base flood at any location or removes the encroached area from the regulatory floodway as provided in section 28-5(5). ... A violator shall, upon conviction, forfeit to the municipality a penalty of not more than $50.00, together with a taxable cost of such action. Each day of continued violation shall constitute a separate offense.

View official code

Full Breakdown

County Code Chapter 28, Article III governs the floodway district, the channel and adjacent land that carries the regional flood, on the floodplain zoning maps for unincorporated Fond du Lac County (Sec. 28-41). Sec. 28-42 limits the floodway to open-space uses: farming and plant nurseries; nonstructural industrial or commercial uses such as loading and parking areas; nonstructural recreation like golf courses, boat ramps and hiking trails; accessory or historic structures; sand and gravel extraction; water-dependent uses such as docks and dams; public utilities, streets and bridges; and portable latrines, wells and sewer or water lines that meet added standards.

Sec. 28-43 requires anyone proposing development in the floodway to submit an analysis from a Wisconsin-registered professional engineer showing the effect on regional flood height, and bars any encroachment that would raise flood elevations at any location. Structures allowed as accessory to open-space uses cannot be designed for human habitation, must be anchored against flotation and lateral movement, and must have their lowest floor at or above the flood protection elevation or be dry-floodproofed and certified by a licensed engineer or architect. Sec. 28-44 flatly prohibits habitable structures, storage of buoyant or hazardous materials, solid or hazardous waste disposal sites, and most new sewage systems, wells, wastewater treatment facilities and sanitary or water lines within the floodway.

Violations are prosecuted by the county's corporation counsel and treated as a public nuisance that can be abated by court action; Article IX sets a forfeiture of not more than $50 per violation, with each day of continued violation charged separately.

Violations & Fines

A person who develops the floodway without meeting Sec. 28-43's engineering and floodproofing standards, or who puts a prohibited use listed in Sec. 28-44 in the floodway, faces a forfeiture of not more than $50 under Article IX, plus taxable court costs, with each day of continued violation counted as a separate offense. The county may also sue to enjoin or abate the violation as a public nuisance under Wis. Stat. § 87.30.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I build a house in the Fond du Lac County floodway?

No. Sec. 28-44 prohibits habitable structures in the floodway district, and Sec. 28-42's list of permitted uses covers only open-space activities like farming, parking, recreation and utilities, so new houses and other dwellings are not allowed there.

What does the county require before any floodway development?

Sec. 28-43 requires the applicant to submit an analysis, prepared by a Wisconsin-registered professional engineer, calculating the effect of the proposed development on the regional flood height, and the encroachment is barred unless the analysis shows no increase in flood elevations.

What accessory structures are allowed in the floodway?

Sec. 28-43(2) allows structures accessory to permitted open-space uses only if they are not designed for human habitation, are anchored against flotation and lateral movement, and either have their lowest floor at or above the flood protection elevation or are certified as dry-floodproofed by a licensed engineer or architect.

What is the penalty for an illegal floodway structure?

Article IX of Chapter 28 sets a forfeiture of not more than $50 per violation, with each day of noncompliance treated as a separate offense, and the county can also sue to abate the violation as a public nuisance under Wis. Stat. § 87.30.

Sources & Official References

[1]Fond du Lac County Code of Ordinances (Municode)

Other rules in Fond du Lac County

Parking Rules: Street Parking LimitsSome Restrictions Erosion ControlSome Restrictions Stormwater ManagementSome Restrictions Flood Elevation RequirementsSome Restrictions Boat Dock PermitsLight Restrictions Noise Ordinances: Vehicle NoiseSome Restrictions Noise Ordinances: Barking DogsLight Restrictions Parking Rules: Abandoned VehiclesSome Restrictions Fence Regulations: Neighbor Fence RulesLight Restrictions Fence Regulations: Retaining WallsHeavy Restrictions

All Fond du Lac County rules

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