Next Page 2.1 County, City and Village Floodplain Ordinances Counties, cities and villages are required to adopt reasonable and effective floodplain zoning ordinances. These ordinances must be adopted within one year after hydraulic and engineering data adequate to formulate the ordinance becomes available. Although the DNR is responsible for providing program oversight and floodplain zoning maps to local governments, floodplain zoning is not an environmental protection program. It is designed to protect individuals, private property and public investments from flooding and flood damage. Floodplain zoning maps identify areas where major floods occur.
Regulations prohibit development in the most dangerous flood areas.
In other flood areas, development which is built above flood levels and otherwise flood protected is allowed. In order to participate in the Federal Emergency Management Agency's National Flood Insurance Program, more than 480 Wisconsin cities and villages have enacted floodplain zoning ordinances that also comply with applicable federal standards. A few other municipalities have adopted ordinances, but do not participate in the national insurance program. Wis. Adm. Code NR 116.