Floodplain Administration
The floodplain administration program includes permitting and regulatory work associated with the floodplain in the City of Missoula and Missoula County. Below are links to permits and regulations associated with the floodplain program. Further information can be obtained by contacting the Floodplain Administrator at 258-4841.
Mullan Trail Legal Documents
- Order to Show Cause
- Motion to Approve Settlement
- Beers Smith Affidavit
- Letter of Map Revision Determination Document
Current Projects:
Submissions of Qualifications from Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) acquisition contractor due by 5:00 p.m. MST, Friday, October 28, 2011
The Missoula County Office of Planning and Grants is soliciting submissions of qualifications from Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) acquisition contractors to obtain high-resolution digital topographic data and generate 2-foot contours along three streams for a total area of approximately 10.5 square-miles. The work is being completed for floodplain hazard identification and funded through a $50,000 grant from the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation (DNRC). The streams to be flown are portions of the Bitterroot, Swan and Clearwater Rivers in Missoula County, Montana. Submissions are due by 5:00 pm, Mountain Standard time, on Friday, October 28, 2011.
The complete Request for Qualifications is available
for download here:
Request for Qualifications document
ESRI shapefile of the coverage area
December 20, 2010 Revised FEMA Digital Flood Insurance Rate Maps (DFIRM)
FEMA has issued the Revised Preliminary Digital Flood Insurance Rate Maps (DFIRM) for Missoula and Missoula County. (Overview of changes)
The maps are the first countywide update since 1988. The draft maps are available on CD (for a cost of $1.00) at the Office of Planning and Grants, 435 Ryman, or may be viewed by clicking on this link. There is an Index that helps determine which maps you may want to view.
More information is provided in the Flood Insurance Study document (11.1 mb)
Clark Fork River Channel Migration Zone - Pilot Study
When someone has lived along a stream for a few years and it doesn’t appear that the stream has moved, they may be lulled into thinking that it might stay that way forever. But the fact is that streams naturally migrate across their floodplains over time and in response to large events such as floods, debris or ice jams. Former active river channels are readily visible in aerial photos of the Missoula Valley. Historic photos show a long term pattern of channel migration. Despite our best efforts to control them, streams often reclaim their former channels and floodplains, potentially resulting in catastrophic loss of life and property.
In December, 2009 the Missoula Water Quality District released a pilot channel migration study for a stretch of the Clark Fork River downstream of Missoula to Huson. The study documents where the channel has been historically - and where it may be again within the next 100-years. The study and associated maps are available for download here:
1988 Flood Insurance Study
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Flood Insurance Rate Maps were developed from the August 16, 1988 Flood Insurance Study (FIS). The FIS can be downloaded here:
South Missoula Floodplain Maps
- Revised South Missoula Floodplain Maps - FEMA approved revisions to 39th Street Floodplain maps
Permits and Forms
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City Floodplain Information Form (PDF Format) |
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County Floodplain Information Form (PDF Format) |
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Floodplain Permit Application |
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Shoreline Permit |
Regulations
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City Floodplain Regulations (Amended December 1, 2004) |
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County Floodplain Regulations (Amended June 9, 2004) |
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Shoreline Regulations (Amended June 17, 1998) |
FEMA Maps (effective 1988):
View the Index to determine which FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRM) you need. Once you have found the FIRM map number you need, click on the link below corresponding to that map number.
If you have questions or can not find the map you are looking for, contact the Floodplain Administrator at 258-4841 or email the floodplain administrator.
