County to update flood plain ordinance

Whitman County commissioners approved Monday morning a new ordinance governing development around flood plains. The previous ordinance was deemed to be out of compliance by officials within the state Department of Ecology.

Planner Alan Thomson said the Federal Emergency Management Authority, or FEMA, requires certain language about the agency’s flood programs be written into county code in order for those who own homes in flood plains to receive federal disaster assistance in case of floods.

Thomson said language for the new ordinance was taken straight from a FEMA model ordinance.

The flood plain ordinance is one-fifth of the county’s critical areas ordinance, which the planning commission is in the middle of re-writing.

Along with flood plains, the critical areas ordinance governs development around wetlands, aquifer recharge areas, geologically unique areas and wildlife habitat.

Thomson said the planning commission is almost finished reworking the wetland and aquifer ordinances and is in the process of finishing the other two.