Yuma, AZ Environmental Rules: Flood Zones (2026)
FEMA flood zone rules in Yuma, AZ, also called floodplain regulations or special flood hazard area (SFHA) rules, determine flood insurance requirements and elevation standards for new construction.
Key Facts
- Governing FIS
- FEMA study dated January 16, 2014
- Permit required
- Floodplain use (FPU) permit before development
- Violation class
- Class 2 misdemeanor, each day separate
- Records location
- City Clerk, One City Plaza
Summary
Yuma regulates all construction and land disturbance inside FEMA-mapped Special Flood Hazard Areas under City Code Chapter 151, adopting the 2014 Flood Insurance Study and FIRMs by reference. A floodplain use permit from the Floodplain Administrator is required before any development begins in these zones.
The Special Flood Hazard Areas identified by FEMA in a scientific and engineering report entitled "The Flood Insurance Study (FIS) for the City of Yuma, Arizona", dated January 16, 2014, with the accompanying Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs), updated to the most current version, and the area of the Colorado River mapped by the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation and subject to provisions of Public Law 99-450, Colorado River Floodway Act, and all subsequent amendments and/or revisions, are hereby adopted by reference and declared to be a part of this chapter.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-74: Current through May 20, 2026).
Full Breakdown
City Code Chapter 151 applies to every Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA) within Yuma's corporate limits. Section 151-06 adopts by reference FEMA's Flood Insurance Study for the City of Yuma dated January 16, 2014, the accompanying Flood Insurance Rate Maps as updated, and the Colorado River floodway area mapped by the Bureau of Reclamation under the Colorado River Floodway Act, Public Law 99-450. gov and kept on file at the City Clerk's office at One City Plaza and at the Public Works Department at 155 W.
14th Street. 99. Under section 151-17(I), a floodplain use (FPU) permit must be obtained before construction or development begins, including placement of manufactured homes, in any SFHA, with applications requiring scaled site plans showing structure elevations, fill, drainage facilities and, for subdivisions over 50 lots or five acres, base flood elevation data. § 48-3609(I) for existing legal uses, but any nonconforming use discontinued for 12 months or damaged 50% or more in value must come into compliance. § 48-3613 before work begins.
Violations & Fines
Section 151-12 makes it unlawful to develop or to divert, retard or obstruct a watercourse without the written authorization required by A.R.S. § 48-3613; violation is a Class 2 misdemeanor, with each day of continued violation a separate offense. Section 151-13 declares unpermitted development in an SFHA after August 8, 1973 a public nuisance per se, subject to abatement. Section 151-14 requires the Floodplain Administrator to report a discovered violation to the Floodplain Board within 30 days for corrective action.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to build in a Yuma flood zone?
What happens if I develop in a Yuma floodplain without authorization?
Where does Yuma get its flood zone maps?
Sources & Official References
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