FEMA flood zone rules in Winnebago County, WI — also called floodplain regulations or special flood hazard area (SFHA) rules — determine flood insurance requirements and elevation standards for new construction.
Winnebago County administers Chapter 26 Floodplain Zoning under Wis. Stat. §87.30 and Wis. Admin. Code NR 116. Floodplain development requires a permit from the County Zoning Administrator. Lake Winnebago, the Fox River (Upper and Lower), and the Wolf River corridor contain mapped Special Flood Hazard Areas under FEMA NFIP.
Wis. Stat. §87.30 mandates that counties adopt and enforce reasonable floodplain zoning ordinances within one year of receiving adequate hydraulic and engineering data; if a county fails, the Wisconsin DNR may impose an ordinance and assess costs. Winnebago County Code Chapter 26 implements NR 116 standards which establish three districts — Floodway, Floodfringe, and General Floodplain. Structures placed, altered, or moved into the Floodfringe must have the lowest floor elevated to or above the Flood Protection Elevation (Base Flood Elevation plus freeboard) or be floodproofed; the Floodway prohibits human-habitation structures and most fill. Watercourse alteration permits trigger notice to adjacent municipalities, the Wisconsin DNR, and FEMA, and a Letter of Map Revision (LOMR) application within 6 months. Lake Winnebago and the Fox/Wolf river corridors through Oshkosh, Neenah, and Menasha contain substantial mapped Special Flood Hazard Areas; cities administer their own floodplain ordinances.
Wis. Stat. §87.30(2) treats violations as public nuisances subject to injunction and fines up to $50 per day. Federal NFIP non-compliance can jeopardize community flood insurance eligibility.
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See how Winnebago County's flood zones rules stack up against other locations.
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