OutdoorNebraska

48 Nebraska Game and Parks Commission • Floating The Good Life Floodways and Floodplains are designated and mapped by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for identifying areas prone to flood hazards. Floodways and Floodplains need to be considered in design as amenities within the water trail access, such as shelters, restroom facilities, or other structures can be categorized as obstructions to the free flowing of floodwaters and may have limitations to where you can place these structures within the project site. Permitted development within the floodway and floodplain is administered by the local jurisdiction having authority – typically the county or municipal township. Contact your local governing offices to learn more about the permitting requirements in your area. To learn if and how your water access project location relates to the floodway and floodplain, current editions of FEMA maps may be found through the Nebraska Department of Natural Resources (NDNR) at dnr.nebraska.gov or your local governing jurisdiction. The regulatory permitting process can be rather involved and will take time; however, it is not intended to be a deterrent in proceeding with a water access project. Identify the permits that your project will require early in the planning of your project. It is encouraged to engage a qualified professional with experience navigating the regulatory process to ensure all regulations are identified and being met. Understanding what is required will aid in determining your project timeline, but it may also contribute to determining the budget and extent of what you ultimately construct. Obtaining authorization to proceed with your project is necessary, but is a process intended to preserve the quality of our waterways and the reasons we are drawn to recreate within them. To aid in understanding the regulatory process, the following terms most likely will be used in communicating with agencies. As these or other terms are used, do not hesitate to ask the agency representative what they are and what they mean to your project – those individuals are there to assist you in the successful outcome of your project! Floodway: The channel of a river and adjacent land areas that convey calculated elevations of flood waters as determined by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Development of structures, which can obstruct free flow of floodwaters, may be limited or prohibited to construct within the floodway. Administering development within a floodway is at the local jurisdictional level such as city or county government. Floodplain: Land areas adjacent to a floodway that are susceptible to being periodically inundated by floodwaters. Impacts to the floodplain, including modifying the elevation of the floodplain by earthwork grading and placement of structures are allowed or limited is administered at the local jurisdictional level such as city or county government. KAYAKING ON THE NIOBRARA RIVER KAYAKING AT WALNUT CREEK RECREATION AREA

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