Goodyear, AZ Environmental Rules: Flood Zones (2026)

§ 48-3610 and § 48-3609 to run their own floodplain management program. Section 16-3-2 defines the regulated special flood hazard areas by adopting FEMA's Flood Insurance Study for Maricopa County, dated October 16, 2013, and the accompanying Flood Insurance Rate Maps, which are kept on file at Goodyear City Hall, 190 N. Litchfield Road. Section 16-4-1 then sets the trigger: no construction, development or placement of a manufactured home may begin inside a mapped special flood hazard area without a development permit issued by the Floodplain Administrator, a role assigned to the City Engineer under § 16-4-2.

The permit application must include scaled plans showing the elevation of the site, proposed and existing structures, fill and drainage facilities, and for subdivisions or developments larger than 50 lots or five acres, the applicant must also submit base flood elevation data. The Floodplain Administrator reviews every application to confirm the site is reasonably safe from flooding and that the project will not raise the base flood's water surface elevation more than one foot, and must notify Maricopa County's floodplain district of any application within one mile of the city limits within three working days of receiving it.

Development that proceeds without the required authorization, or that diverts, retards or obstructs a watercourse and creates a hazard to life or property, is declared unlawful and a public nuisance per se under §§ 16-3-8 and 16-3-9.