Valencia County, NM Environmental Rules: Flood Zones (2026)

031. 033 backs that up by barring any structure or land use change without full compliance. 050 and reviews, approves or denies every permit application, checks that federal and state approvals such as a Clean Water Act Section 404 permit have been obtained, and must notify the New Mexico Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management before any watercourse is altered or relocated. 065 sets the baseline construction standards for anything built in a special flood hazard area: the project must be anchored against flotation, collapse and lateral movement from hydrodynamic and hydrostatic loads; built and sited with flood-damage-resistant methods and materials; and its electrical, heating, plumbing and air conditioning components must be located or protected so floodwater cannot enter or accumulate in them.

Water supply and sanitary sewer systems must be designed to keep floodwater out, and on-site waste disposal systems must sit where flooding will not contaminate or damage them. 051(I) bars new construction, substantial improvements or fill in Zones A1-30 and AE unless the applicant shows the cumulative effect of the development will not raise the base flood elevation more than one foot anywhere in the county. 099.