Lincoln County, SD Environmental Rules: Flood Zones (2026)

Lincoln County Code § 153.045 requires anyone intending to conduct development in a flood hazard area or buffer zone to first apply to the Floodplain Administrator and obtain the permit before starting. Permits are required for all proposed construction and other development, including placement of manufactured homes, within Zone A or AE on the community's Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM), and within 100 feet of distance or eight feet of elevation, whichever comes first, from a special flood hazard area. The permit application under § 153.046 must identify and describe the development, give its legal description or address, state its intended use, and be accompanied by building plans, an elevation certificate, a scaled site plan and grading plans showing proposed elevations, plus a description of any watercourse alteration.

The Floodplain Administrator weighs twelve listed factors under § 153.046(C) before approving or denying the permit, including the danger to life and property from flooding or erosion, the safety of emergency vehicle access during a flood, the costs of providing governmental services during and after flooding, and volumetric calculations demonstrating compensatory storage for fill activities in the floodplain. Under § 153.048, a permit becomes invalid if development is not started within one year of issuance or is suspended or abandoned for 180 days, though the Floodplain Administrator may grant an extension of up to 180 additional days.

The Administrator may also suspend or revoke a permit under § 153.049 if it was issued in error, based on inaccurate information, or in violation of any county ordinance.