FEMA flood zone rules in Marathon County, WI — also called floodplain regulations or special flood hazard area (SFHA) rules — determine flood insurance requirements and elevation standards for new construction.
Marathon County General Code Ch. 17 (Zoning) includes the County Floodplain Zoning Ordinance, mandated by Wis. Stat. §87.30 and Wis. Admin. Code NR 116, and tied to FEMA NFIP Flood Insurance Rate Maps. Major flood-prone corridors include the Wisconsin River, Eau Claire River, Big Rib River, and Eau Pleine River.
Wis. Stat. §87.30 requires every Wisconsin county, city, and village to adopt a floodplain zoning ordinance meeting Wis. Admin. Code NR 116 minimum standards. Marathon County's ordinance, administered by the Conservation, Planning, and Zoning Department under Ch. 17, regulates the Floodway, Floodfringe, and General Floodplain districts. Per NR 116, the Floodway prohibits structures intended for human habitation; the Floodfringe requires the lowest floor to be elevated to at least the Flood Protection Elevation (typically 2 feet above the Base Flood Elevation under NR 116.13). Floodplain development permits are required for any structure, fill, or grading within the regulatory floodplain. Effective FEMA FIRMs cover Marathon County and the City of Wausau, Village of Rothschild, Village of Weston, City of Mosinee, and other communities in the Wisconsin River corridor.
Violations of Wis. Stat. §87.30 and NR 116 are enforced through county zoning citations; non-conforming work can require removal at owner expense. Federal NFIP non-compliance can jeopardize community flood-insurance eligibility.
Marathon County, WI
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Marathon County, WI
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Marathon County, WI
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Marathon County, WI
Wis. Stat. §167.10 requires a user's permit for nearly all consumer fireworks (firecrackers, bottle rockets, Roman candles, mortars, aerial repeaters). Permi...
Marathon County, WI
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Marathon County, WI
Marathon County does not set a county-wide occupancy cap on short-term rentals. Maximum guest count is fixed at the property's annual Tourist Rooming House i...
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