Open houses planned to review floodplain maps

Mineral County and the Town of Superior are working with Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation and the Federal Emergency Management Agency to update floodplain maps for the Clark Fork River, St. Regis River, and tributaries.

“Updating the existing floodplain maps is a key step in providing the best available data to help keep families, homes, roads and other infrastructure safe from future flood events” explained Tiffany Lyden, DNRC Floodplain Outreach Specialist.

The communities and DNRC will hold three public open houses to share the draft maps and speak one-on-one with property owners about the impact of proposed floodplain changes.

- 5-7 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 18, St. Regis Community Center, 230 Lobo Loop, St. Regis;

- 5-7 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 19, Mineral County Courthouse – Commissioners Meeting Room, 300 River St., Superior

- 5-7 p.m. Thursday, March 19, Alberton Library, 701 Railroad Ave., Alberton

More information about the floodplain mapping project, the draft maps, and proposed changes can be found online: www.floodplain.mt.gov/mineral

Most of Mineral County’s existing floodplain maps are based off information from the late 1970s and early 1980s, explained Lyden.

“Over time, survey data were collected in some areas, or small-scale flood studies were done to replace or supplement the existing maps, but this is the first time large-scale flood study work has been undertaken in Mineral County,” Lyden said.

The current floodplain studies use high-accuracy topographic information, updated hydrology data and modern engineering methods to accurately identify and map areas at risk of flooding during a 100-year flood event, also known as a 1% annual chance flood event.

The draft floodplain maps will undergo a lengthy technical and public review process before being finalized.

“We want to give landowners an early look at the information and the draft maps” said Andy Short, Mineral County Floodplain Administrator. “Updating our existing floodplain maps will take several years and public review is an important part of the process.”

More information about the project and draft maps will be discussed at the open houses.

In case of inclement weather, updates and more information can be found online at www.floodplain.mt.gov/mineral.

For more information, Andy Short, Mineral County Floodplain

Administrator ashort@co.mineral.mt.us 822-3525, or Tiffany Lyden, DNRC Floodplain Outreach Specialist tlyden@mt.gov 444-0599.