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Sauk County, WI Environmental Rules: Flood Zones (2026)

Some Restrictions

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

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

Key Facts

Enforcing agency: Land Resources and Environment Department
Regulated zones: FIRM zones A, AO, AH, A1-30, AE
Districts: Floodway, Flood Fringe, General Floodplain, Flood Storage
Permit required: Land use permit before any floodplain development
Forfeiture: $50 to $200 per offense, per day
Ordinance date: Ord. No. 1-2026, effective January 13, 2026

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 Sauk County, WI.

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 Sauk County, WI on the FEMA flood map

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

Summary

Sauk County's Chapter 9 floodplain zoning ordinance regulates development within flood hazard zones A, AO, AH, A1-30 and AE shown on FEMA flood insurance rate maps. The Land Resources and Environment Department administers four floodplain districts and requires a land use permit before any construction, filling or use change in a mapped floodplain in unincorporated Sauk County.

These county ordinances apply to unincorporated areas of Sauk County. Incorporated cities within the county may have their own rules that take precedence over county-level regulations.

This ordinance regulates all areas of special flood hazard identified as zones A, AO, AH, A1-30, or AE on the flood insurance rate map. ... (a)The Floodway District (FW), is the channel of a river or stream and those portions of the floodplain adjoining the channel required to carry the regional floodwaters, within AE zones as shown on the FIRM, or within A zones shown on the FIRM when determined according to Section 9.017.(b)The Flood Fringe District (FF) is that portion of a riverine special flood hazard area outside the floodway within AE zones on the FIRM, or, when floodway limits have been determined according to Section 9.017, within A zones shown on the FIRM.

View official code

Full Breakdown

Sauk County's floodplain zoning ordinance, Chapter 9 of the county code, was repealed and re-enacted by Ord. No. 1-2026 effective January 13, 2026, and is adopted under Wis. Stats. §§ 59.69, 59.692 and 59.694 and the state floodplain mandate at Wis. Stats. § 87.30. It divides mapped flood hazard areas into four zoning districts: the Floodway District, covering the channel and adjoining land needed to carry regional floodwaters; the Flood Fringe District, the portion of a riverine special flood hazard area outside the floodway; the General Floodplain District, for areas shown as A, AO or AH zones where a floodway boundary has not been delineated; and the Flood Storage District, where floodwater storage is calculated to reduce the regional flood discharge.

Regulated zones are the A, AO, AH, A1-30 and AE zones shown on the FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Map panels adopted by reference, plus DNR-approved dam-failure hydraulic shadow studies for Honey Creek, Dutch Hollow Lake, Lake Redstone, Delton Dam, Virginia Lake, Huey Duck Lake, Magruder Dam and Cazenovia Dam. Development in the floodway that would obstruct flow or raise the regional flood height is barred outright unless a registered engineer's analysis shows no increase in flood elevations. A land use permit from the Zoning Administrator is required before any structure is built, moved, altered or its use changed within these mapped areas, and the county's floodplain rules apply in unincorporated Sauk County as well as to any city, village or town that has not adopted its own qualifying ordinance under Wis. Admin. Code ch. NR 116.

Violations & Fines

Violating any provision of Chapter 9, including building without a required land use permit, carries a forfeiture of not less than $50.00 nor more than $200.00 per offense plus court costs under Sec. 9.034(3); each day a violation continues is a separate offense. The Zoning Administrator investigates, can issue a stop-work order, and may refer enforcement to the Sauk County corporation counsel, who can seek injunctive relief and abatement of the violation as a public nuisance under Wis. Stats. § 59.69(11).

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a permit to build in a Sauk County flood zone?

Yes. Any structure, fill, or change of use within a mapped A, AO, AH, A1-30 or AE zone requires a land use permit from the Sauk County Zoning Administrator under Sec. 9.002(6), and failure to obtain one is a violation punishable under Sec. 9.034.

What are the four floodplain districts in Sauk County?

Sauk County divides its floodplain into the Floodway District, the Flood Fringe District, the General Floodplain District, and the Flood Storage District, each with its own development standards set out in Subchapters IV through VII of Chapter 9.

Does the county floodplain ordinance apply inside Baraboo or Reedsburg?

Sauk County's Chapter 9 governs unincorporated areas of the county. Under Sec. 9.002(7), cities, villages and towns must also comply with this ordinance unless they have adopted their own floodplain ordinance meeting Wis. Admin. Code ch. NR 116, so incorporated municipalities should confirm which ordinance controls.

What happens if development increases flood height in the floodway?

It is prohibited. Sec. 9.007 bars any floodplain development that obstructs flow or causes an increase in the regional flood height, and the Zoning Administrator must deny a permit for a project shown to cause that increase based on the adopted FIRM.

Sources & Official References

[1]Sauk County Code of Ordinances (Municode)

Other rules in Sauk County

Noise Ordinances: Construction HoursSome Restrictions Stormwater ManagementSome Restrictions Flood Elevation RequirementsSome Restrictions Erosion ControlSome Restrictions Boat Dock PermitsLight Restrictions Noise Ordinances: Aircraft NoiseSome Restrictions Noise Ordinances: Decibel LimitsSome Restrictions Parking Rules: Driveway RulesSome Restrictions Fence Regulations: Fence Permit RequirementsSome Restrictions Animal Ordinances: Veterinary Clinic ZoningSome Restrictions

All Sauk County rules

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