(Mandatory)

FEMA Demands Compliance

Wasco County’s journey to update its Flood Insurance Rate Map and Flood Hazard Overlay (OZ-1) Code is provided in detail below. The most important issue is highlighted here. On July 15, 2024, the Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) sent a letter to Wasco County demanding that the County change its flood hazard regulations to conform to requirements from the Federal Endangered Species Act. These new requirements will significantly affect future development in the floodplain. FEMA requires that Wasco County and most local governments in Oregon adopt these new requirements no later than January 31, 2025. This time frame that neglects Oregon’s comprehensive due process requirements.

FEMA is giving local governments three possible choices for changing flood hazard regulations. FEMA calls these Pre-Implementation Compliance Measures.  Any one of the three Compliance Measures will have drastic impacts to all future development in the floodplain. Additionally, if Wasco County fails to  comply, the County could face  severe consequences which include removal from the National Flood Insurance Program. FEMA’s demand has altered the original plan to adopt the updated Floodplain Map and model Flood Overlay Zone Code, and has forced Wasco County to expedite the Code update by December of 2024 in order to adhere to FEMA’s deadline.

Jump to 2025 Current Status of FEMA Maps

Preliminary FEMA Flood Map Tool

2014 – 2018

In 2014, Wasco County invested, in collaboration with partners, to have Lidar data developed for Wasco County. Lidar, which stands for Light Detection and Ranging, is a remote sensing method that uses light in the form of a pulsed laser to measure ranges (variable distances) to the Earth. These light pulses — combined with other data recorded by the airborne system — generate precise, three-dimensional information about the shape of the Earth and its surface characteristics.

One of the goals of obtaining new data was to update what citizens and staff identified as “inaccurately delineated FEMA floodplain maps”. The current Areas of Special Flood Hazards (ASFH) identified on the Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM), are dated September 24, 1984, and there are many places in the County where the Floodplain is off center from waterways. The new, more accurate data was supplied to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to revise their FIRM (also known as the flood map or floodplain maps). FEMA has information on what flood map updates mean for you.

The goal of these new maps is to more accurately reflect natural hazard risk and provide opportunities to reduce risk through mitigated development action. In addition, Wasco County must also stay consistent with FEMA regulations in order to ensure citizens are able to participate in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), which offers flood insurance at reduced rates.

In early preparation for changes to the floodplain maps and land use ordinance, Wasco County sent a notice to impacted properties in 2018 informing them of the process and that field surveys would be occuring to assess the analysis. Click the link to see the “Letter of Introduction for Field Surveys in Middle Columbia-Hood Watershed, Oregon“

2023

In May of 2023, FEMA provided a Floodplain Map Update presentation to the Wasco County Board of Commissioners. Wasco County also sent letters explaining the floodplain map updates, and provided details of potential impacts, the appeal process, and the opportunity to provide comments or ask questions. Click the links to see mailers “FIRM Mailer: Property No Longer in Flood Zone“, “FIRM Mailer: Property Remaining in Flood Zone“, and “FIRM Mailer: Property Coming Into Updated Flood Zone“.

These letters were followed up by two community open houses that were held by FEMA on May 23, in the City of The Dalles, and on May 24, in the Unincorporated Community of Wamic. Additionally, a postcard notice was mailed to affected property owners in October, 2023, notifying them about the 90 day appeal period, which ended in January of 2024. FEMA anticipates that the revised preliminary floodplain map will be released in spring 2025. Since FEMA’s final floodplain map will not be ready until late 2025, Wasco County anticipates adopting the updated maps in 2026.

FEMA developed a webpage Wasco County, Oregon, Flood Map Update with explicit details concerning the floodplain map update and a Flood Map Tool to assist landowners. For information concerning the current (1984 floodplain map) and whether it impacts your property, please contact the Wasco County Planning Division or use the Wasco County GIS Interactive Web Map.

2024

Pre-Implementation Compliance Measures

As noted above, Wasco County participates in the NFIP, administered by FEMA. The program requires participating local governments to adopt consistent development standards for buildings within flood hazard areas. FEMA periodically updates its rules for these areas. Wasco County must then update its Land Use and Development Ordinance (LUDO) Section 3.710 – Flood Hazard Overlay — to comply with these new rules. The Planning Department must update Section 3.710 in two areas:

  • General Updates. In 2020, FEMA and the State of Oregon issued a model code to update flood hazard standards. The updates make code language clearer, and generally streamline development requrirements, especially for barns, sheds, and other accessory type structures.
  • Pre-Implementation Compliance Measures. In July, FEMA issued notice to Wasco County demanding that Pre‐Implementation Compliance Measures (PICM) for NFIP participating communities in Oregon shall be required no later than January of 2025. The PICMs are designed to ensure that the NFIP is in compliance with the Endangered Species Act (ESA), and in order to comply, FEMA demands that Wasco County adopt one of the following regulatory choices:
    1. Adopt a model ordinance that considers impacts to species and their habitat and requires mitigation to a no net loss standard; or
    2. Permit-by-permit habitat assessment and mitigation plan for development; or
    3. Prohibition on Development in the floodplain.

Click here Pre-Implementation Compliance Measures for more information.

2025 Current Status

Wasco County, Oregon – Flood Map Update (Preliminary Map webpage & slider tool) (English)

Wasco County, Oregon – Flood Map Update (Preliminary Map webpage & slider tool) (Spanish)

  • The floodplain map updated in Wasco County is a countywide update (except for the intersection with the Warm Springs Reservation). The project underwent an appeal period October 18, 2023 to January 17, 2024 that encompassed all new and restudied reaches in the County.
  • At the end of the appeal period, FEMA reviewed provided comments to determine whether a revision was appropriate. This would include either available information provided by the appellant or if the mapping was technically or scientifically incorrect. In this case, FEMA concurred with comments to Chenoweth and Mill Creeks. A refined analysis – upgrading from a 1D-hydraulic model to a 2D-hydraulic model provided an enhanced analysis in those locations. Note that the revised mapping approach doesn’t necessarily add or remove floodplain, it just enhances the credibility as the mapping approach shows water moving in different directions rather than just at each cross section.
  • At this point, FEMA’s goal is to complete the countywide study as the initial flood hazard analyses were performed in 2017. The path forward on this study will include the following (assuming there is not a second revised preliminary needed following the second appeal period):
    • March 2025: Official Revised Preliminary release (reissued preliminary Flood Insurance Rate Maps, Flood Insurance Study, and FIRM Database)
    • Summer 2025: Second Appeal Period (only open to Wasco County and the Dalles for Chenoweth and Mill Creeks)
    • Spring 2026: Letter of Final Map adoption (6-month period that puts communities on the clock for adopting updated flood maps)
    • Fall 2026: Maps are Effective
  • Although FEMA closed the appeal period in January 2024, the Letter of Map Change process is always an option for landowners who believe the floodplain map is incorrect. That review process is done through a Letter of Map Amendment (LOMA) where a surveyor will take the Lowest Adjacent Grade (lowest part of the exposed structure) and compare it to the 1% annual chance flood elevation. LOMAs are performed on the effective map, so if folks want to use this process with the new mapping, they’ll need to wait until 2026 at the earliest.
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