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Fountain, CO Environmental Rules: Flood Zones (2026)

Some Restrictions

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

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

Key Facts

Permit required for: any development in mapped flood hazard areas
Issued by: city floodplain administrator
Permit expires: 12 months if construction not started
Appeal/variance body: city council (appeal board)
Flood maps source: FEMA Flood Insurance Study, El Paso County
Max penalty: $2,650 fine or 1 year jail (§1.12.010)
Chapter adopted: Ord. No. 1183, 2002

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 Fountain, CO.

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 Fountain, CO on the FEMA flood map

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

Summary

Fountain requires a development permit from the floodplain administrator before any construction, grading, filling, dredging or other development activity begins in a mapped area of special flood hazard along the Fountain Creek corridor. City Code Chapter 14.04 implements the city's flood-loss-reduction authority under C.R.S. § 31-23-301, and unpermitted work is a misdemeanor.

A.A development permit shall be obtained before construction or development begins within any area of special flood hazard established in section 14.04.070. The permit shall expire at the end of 12 months from the issuance if start of construction has not taken place. Application for a development permit shall be made on forms furnished by the floodplain administrator and may include, but not be limited to, plans in duplicate drawn to scale showing the nature, location, dimensions, and elevations of the area in question; existing or proposed structures, fill, storage of materials, and drainage facilities; and the location of the foregoing. Specifically, the following information is required and is to be certified by a licensed professional engineer or architect:1.Elevation in relation to mean sea level or the lowest floor (including basement) of all structures;2.Elevation in relation to mean sea level to which any structure has been floodproofed;3.Evidence that the floodproofing methods for any nonresidential structure meet the floodproofing criteria in section 14.04.180.B; and ...

View official code

Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 3).

Full Breakdown

04, Flood Damage Prevention, was adopted in 2002 under Ordinance No. § 31-23-301, and it governs every parcel within Fountain city limits that falls inside a mapped area of special flood hazard along the Fountain Creek corridor. 130 requires a development permit from the floodplain administrator before construction, grading, filling, dredging or any other development activity begins in that area; the application must include duplicate scaled plans showing structures, fill, storage of materials and drainage facilities, and for new or substantially improved structures a licensed professional engineer or architect must certify the elevation of the lowest floor in relation to mean sea level.

A permit expires twelve months after issuance if construction has not started. 070, to define the special flood hazard boundaries. 190 before signing off. 160, which weighs flood danger, alternative sites and the cost of future public services before granting a variance; a variance inside a designated floodway is barred outright if it would raise base flood discharge levels.

Violations & Fines

Building or developing in a special flood hazard area without a permit, or failing to comply with any condition attached to one, is a misdemeanor under section 14.04.090. Conviction carries Fountain's general penalty in section 1.12.010: a fine of up to $2,650.00, up to one year in jail, or both, with each day of continuing violation counted as a separate offense the floodplain administrator and municipal court can pursue.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a permit to build in Fountain's floodplain?

Yes. Section 14.04.130 requires a development permit from the floodplain administrator before any construction, grading, filling or drainage work begins in an area the FEMA Flood Insurance Study for El Paso County maps as a special flood hazard area. The application needs scaled plans and, for new or substantially improved structures, an engineer's certified elevation of the lowest floor.

What happens if I build in the floodplain without a permit?

It is a misdemeanor under section 14.04.090. Conviction brings Fountain's general penalty of up to a $2,650.00 fine, up to a year in jail, or both, and every day the violation continues counts as a new offense the floodplain administrator and municipal court can pursue separately.

Can I appeal if the floodplain administrator denies my permit?

Yes. Section 14.04.160 lets the city council sit as an appeal board to review denials and hear variance requests, weighing flood danger, alternative locations and hardship to the applicant, but it cannot grant a variance inside a mapped floodway if the project would raise flood levels.

How does Fountain decide which areas are floodplain?

Section 14.04.070 adopts by reference the Federal Insurance Administration's Flood Insurance Study for El Paso County, Colorado and Incorporated Areas, along with its Flood Insurance Rate Maps, as the basis for defining the city's special flood hazard boundaries along the Fountain Creek corridor.

Sources & Official References

[1]Fountain Municipal Code § 14.04.130 (Municode)

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