FEMA flood zone rules in Washtenaw County, MI β also called floodplain regulations or special flood hazard area (SFHA) rules β determine flood insurance requirements and elevation standards for new construction.
Washtenaw County participates in the National Flood Insurance Program countywide (NFIP CID 26161C) along with each of its cities, villages, and townships, which carry their own CIDs β Ann Arbor City 260213, Ann Arbor Charter Township 260535, Ypsilanti City 260216, Ypsilanti Charter Township 260542, Pittsfield Charter Township 260623, Saline City 260215, Chelsea City 260599, Dexter Village 260600, and Dexter Township 260536. The Huron River, Mill Creek, and Saline River drive most of the SFHA mapping. Floodplain alteration also requires a state permit under Part 31 of Michigan's Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act (MCL 324.3101 et seq., PA 451 of 1994), administered by EGLE.
Michigan operates a dual federal-state floodplain regime. At the federal level, FEMA-effective Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs) define Special Flood Hazard Areas (SFHAs β Zones A, AE, AH, AO) and trigger NFIP local floodplain ordinance enforcement; each Washtenaw County community must regulate development in its SFHA per 44 CFR 60.3 to remain in the program. Washtenaw County and its municipalities are listed on FEMA's Community Status Book with active CIDs (countywide 26161C; Ann Arbor City 260213; Ann Arbor Charter Township 260535; Ypsilanti City 260216; Ypsilanti Charter Township 260542; Pittsfield Charter Township 260623; Saline City 260215; Saline Township 261792; Chelsea City 260599; Dexter Village 260600; Dexter Township 260536). Floodplain administrators issue floodplain development permits, require Lowest Floor Elevation at or above the Base Flood Elevation, prohibit floodway development without a no-rise certification by a Michigan-licensed professional engineer, and require flood-resistant construction below the BFE. The Huron River β running through Ann Arbor, Ypsilanti, and Dexter β is the dominant flood source, with floodplains and floodways mapped along its banks; Mill Creek and the Saline River add additional SFHA acreage. Washtenaw County records 132 NFIP claims since 1978 totaling about $1.6M, with roughly 687 active policies. At the state level, Part 31 of NREPA (MCL 324.3101 β 1994 PA 451) and EGLE's Floodplain Regulatory Authority require a state floodplain permit before any alteration or occupation of the 100-year floodplain of a river, stream, or drain with a drainage area of 2 square miles or more. EGLE's permit is independent of and in addition to the local floodplain development permit. Federally-backed mortgages on SFHA properties require flood insurance under 42 U.S.C. Β§4012a.
Construction without a required local floodplain development permit, or non-compliant work within an SFHA, can be enforced as a municipal civil infraction (and risks NFIP probation/suspension of the entire community, raising flood insurance rates for every resident). EGLE Part 31 violations are independently enforceable: civil fines up to $25,000 per day under MCL 324.3115, plus restoration orders and potential misdemeanor penalties for knowing violations. Federal lenders cannot close on a federally-backed mortgage in an SFHA without flood insurance under 42 U.S.C. Β§4012a.
Washtenaw County, MI
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See how Washtenaw County's flood zones rules stack up against other locations.
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