Agua Caliente Wash Floodplain Re-mapping and PMR

Study Home Page

Study status:

FEMA’s Technical Appeal Period for the proposed mapping has ended. The revised maps became effective on September 28, 2012.

Project Details

• Overview
• Reports and Documents (updated 4/12/2012)
• Meetings and Events (updated 5/19/2010)

Overview

The Pima County Regional Flood Control District submitted proposed changes to the Agua Caliente Wash Floodplains, Floodways, and Base Flood Elevations to the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The revisions start at the Forest Service Boundary and extend south to the Tanque Verde Creek. The map revisions reflect improved topographic information, revised hydraulic modeling, and incorporates drainage infrastructure. The maps cover portions of Sections 35 and 36, Township 13 South, Range 15 East, and Sections 16, 17, 19, 20, 21, 30, and 31 Township 13 South Range 16 East, and Sections 1 and 2 Township 14 South Range 15 East. The revised Floodplains, Floodways, and Base Flood Elevations modify portions of Flood Insurance Rate Maps 04019C1720L, 04019C1740L, 04019C2306L, and 04019C2307L.  The revised maps have been reissued as panels 04019C1720 M, 04019C1740 M, 04019C2306 M, and 04019C2307 M, respectively.

Frequently Asked Questions

The most frequently asked questions regarding the re-mapping of the floodplain for the Agua Caliente Wash, the Flood Insurance Rate Maps, the Physical Map Revision, Flood Insurance and more can be found in this FAQ brochure (PDF format). The District also has a Flood Insurance page that answers many common questions about flood insurance.

What is a “Shaded Zone X”?

The Flood Insurance Rate Maps have several flood insurance rate zones.  One of those is referred to as a “Shaded Zone X”.  For the Agua Caliente Map revision, the designation will have one of three different definitions:

1. The 0.2 percent change floodplain most commonly referred to as the 500-year floodplain.
2. An area protected by a flood control levee from flooding by a 100-year flood
3. Areas of shallow flooding (less than one foot) during the Regulatory Flood event (100-year flood).

A Shaded Zone X floodplain is not a Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA) and federally-insured lenders are not required to have flood insurance* on structure in such areas.  However a Shaded Zone X designation does not mean there is no risk of flooding during the life of a mortgage. The District encourages property owners to discuss the flood risks of their property with their local floodplain management agency.

* The Flood Disaster Protection Act of 1973 requires lenders to have insurance on loans with structures that are in a federally mapped 100-year floodplain.  Lenders pass that requirement to homeowners. 

Individual Elevation Surveys

There were several properties along the edges of the proposed floodplain for which additional data was needed to determine whether the structure was in the floodplain or not. With the consent of the property owners, the District performed surveys to determine if these residences were eligible for a Letter of Map Amendment (LOMA) or a Letter of Map Revision based on Fill (LOMR-F). These surveys have been completed and the District has submitted the necessary documentation to request FEMA to remove the residences from the regulatory floodplain. The project manager will update those property owners on the status of those applications

Technical Appeals of the Preliminary Maps

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) provided a 90-day Technical Appeal Period for individuals who disagree with the preliminary maps in order for those individuals to provide technical or scientific data to appeal the map changes. The Technical Appeal Period ended January 10, 2012.  No appeals were submitted. 

 

For more information, please contact the Project Manager: Terry Hendricks, Chief Hydrologist (520) 724-4600