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

) by Ordinance No. 83-23 in 1983 to protect the reservoirs and watershed that supply the county's drinking water. that lies below an existing water reservoir, dam, or one that is only planned. Within that footprint, no building or accessory building may be constructed lower than the maximum flood elevation for a distance of one mile downstream of the reservoir or dam; there is no exception in the text for accessory structures, garages, or agricultural buildings. The companion section, § 3-5-383, layers additional limits on property near a reservoir owned or managed by the county or the Henry County Water and Sewerage Authority: residential lots within 1,000 feet must sit on at least three acres and keep buildings and septic nitrification field lines at least 250 feet back, while parcels farther from the reservoir need only a 100-foot setback on standard residential lots.

may be granted by the board of commissioners or a municipal governing authority under § 3-5-384, but only where sewage from the property is served by an approved public sewage facility; no variance is available for any use that creates toxic byproducts or wastes. must first submit a scaled plat showing surface water within 250 feet of the parcel under § 3-5-379 before rezoning or a building permit will issue. Because this is a county-only, narrowly mapped overlay tied to specific reservoirs and dams, it does not function as a general FEMA floodplain ordinance for the rest of unincorporated Henry County.