General Floodplain Development Permits Intended for Specific Uses and Activities Determined to Have Minimal or No Impact on Flood Hazards

Boulder County, Colo. - Boulder County is proposing to issue General Floodplain Development Permit (General FDP) 2024-1, pursuant to Article 4-404.1 of the Boulder County Land Use Code.

The intent of a General FDP is to allow certain limited uses and activities in the Floodplain Overlay District without the need for an approved Individual FDP because these specific uses and activities have been determined to have minimal or no impact on flood hazards. Some projects permitted by the General FDP still require notification of the County Engineer. The General FDP covers unincorporated areas of Boulder County only.

View the Draft General Floodplain Permit (FDP) 2024-1.

The current General FDP was issued in 2022 and expires April 21, 2024. The Floodplain Management Program issues a new General FDP every two years to ensure it covers relevant activities. Projects covered under a General FDP are not required to pay FDP permit fees.

General FDP 2024-1 covers the same types of activities as the current General FDP. The covered activities are related to general property management, transportation infrastructure, stream restoration and stormwater drainage systems, ditches or water delivery infrastructure, oil and gas maintenance, overhead and underground utilities, agriculture, and deconstruction or relocation of buildings and structures. New activities covered under General FDP 2024-1 include rooftop solar panels, water wells, and electrical equipment for water delivery infrastructure.

General FDP 2024-1 does not absolve the property owner from obtaining other required permits such as a Building Permit. All projects covered under General FDP 2024-1 must adhere to the conditions listed in Section II of the permit.

A two-week comment period will begin on Friday, March 29, 2024. Written comments regarding General FDP 2024-1 should be submitted to the Floodplain Management Program by Friday, April 12, 2024. To submit written comments, please email FloodplainAdmin@bouldercounty.gov.

Unless the Floodplain Management Program postpones the effective date based on comments received prior to Friday, April 12, 2024 or for other good cause, with any such postponement announced on the Floodplain Development Permits webpage, General FDP 2024-1 will become effective at close-of-business on Monday, April 22, 2024.

Learn more on the Floodplain Development Permits webpage, or contact Sarah Heller, Floodplain Program Planner, at FloodplainAdmin@bouldercounty.gov or 720-564-2978.