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Commissioners approve agreement for second phase of Risk Mapping Assessment and Planning project

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On Tuesday, Jan. 7, the Archuleta County Board of County Commissioners (BoCC) unanimously approved a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with the Colorado Water Conservation Board (CWCB), in partnership with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and its contractor, AECOM, to complete phase two of the county’s Risk Mapping Assessment and Planning (MAP) project.

The board approved the agreement as part of the meeting’s consent agenda.

Planning Manager Owen O’Dell briefed the BoCC on the matter earlier in the day during a work session, where he indicated that the purpose of this phase of the MAP project is “for a remapping of our flood plain in the area.”

O’Dell explained that he was presenting the MOA to the BoCC as chair Commissioner Veronica Medina’s signature, along with his own, is needed for the project to move forward.

He went on to explain that “this is gonna keep us in compliance with the NFIP [National Flood Insurance Program],” which allows homeowners with federally backed mortgages to get flood insurance.

Phase one of the project included discovery and a two-dimensional base-level engineering analysis throughout the county, O’Dell explained, noting that was completed before his tenure with the county began.

He explained that if the county is not in compliance, the county could be “suspended” from that program, adding that there are only a few counties in the state that are suspended.

“So most communities stay in compliance,” he said, mentioning that the county staying in compliance helps constituents maintain insurance on properties located within a flood plain.

O’Dell explained that a lot of the flood zones are outdated, meaning they were last mapped between 2009 and 2014, making them more than 10 years old. 

He also noted that some of the zones are not mapped to the “same amount of detail.”

According to agenda documentation, “The regulatory update (through the Preliminary and Post Preliminary Phases 3 and 4) will be funded with FEMA’s Fiscal Years 2020-2024.”

O’Dell clarified that there is no cost to the county for the project.

He added that the purpose of the MOA is to formally document the selected scope of work and choice modeling methodology, and inform all study partners of expectations while working together.

O’Dell further explained that phase two of the project involves creating a new flood hazard analysis, along with newly updated flood risk data sets. The project will also identify and generate special flood hazards while restudying streams that are currently not considered as “valid.”

Homes located within a flood plain will be required to get flood insurance, O’Dell mentioned.

“In order for our community to effectively receive flood insurance, we as a county must be in compliance with FEMA’s regulations and practices,” O’Dell stated.

He noted that rivers and streams change over time, highlighting the need to restudy certain areas.

According to agenda documentation, the focus of phase two of the MAP project is to produce a detailed “Zone AE” as well as a refined approximate mapping, Zone A, for all currently effective, out-of-date reaches.

The documentation also notes that there are currently 233.4 miles of outdated streams in the county that need to be updated.

Then-commissioner Ronnie Maez asked how FEMA determines what is a flood zone and what’s not. 

O’Dell explained that FEMA currently uses an aerial overlay map of the area, noting that much of Zone A does not have “boots on the ground.”

He indicated that he has requested for FEMA and its partners and contractors to perform mapping and studying of the streams with “boots on the ground.”

“There’s a lot of areas that in my lifetime I’ve never seen flood,” Maez said.

O’Dell replied, “exactly,” explaining that the official map will contain more detail and feature a refined flood plain zone.

He went on to explain that with the way it is now, a property might be in a  flood plain based on the overlay map and would have to get a flood plain development permit. However, once a surveyor goes out to the property, they could find that it is actually not located in a flood plain zone.

Maez commented that he has experienced that situation in the past, “so this will make that a lot more clearer.”

O’Dell explained that property owners can still potentially build in a flood plain zone and that the MAP project will give a base flood elevation.

“You can build in a flood plain; you just need to have the first floor above a half foot of the base flood elevation,” O’Dell said.

He then mentioned that much of Zone A currently does not have a base flood evaluation depicted, which will be mapped in phase two, noting that areas along Mill Creek and the Lower Blanco will be getting remapped.

“We’ve seen a lot of development in the Lower Blanco and had to issue a lot of flood plain development permits ... so, that’ll help these properties,” O’Dell said.

He mentioned that initially there was not going to be any “boots on the ground” work, but when performing aerial mapping, bridges can be inaccurately shown as a “blockage” of a stream, “which would disrupt the affected flood zone, so we’re having surveyors go on the ground and actually map those areas.”

Maez described that approach as a “more common sense view.”

O’Dell noted that the remaining phases of the MAP project are expected to wrap up by 2028, giving the county a more detailed map and allowing homeowners with federally backed mortgages to obtain flood insurance.

“Otherwise, if we’re not in compliance as a community, we lose that ability, which as we know can cost people a lot of money,” he said.

clayton@pagosasun.com