Floodplain Information

A floodplain is the part of the land where water collects, pools, and flows during the course of natural events. Such areas are classified by FEMA as Special Flood Hazard Areas (SFHA) and are located within identified 100-year flood zones.

City of Tucson Mayor and Council adopted the revised Floodplain Ordinance and Tucson Floodplain Management Plan on August 9, 2016.  The updated Floodplain Ordinance (Tucson Code Chapter 26 Article 1) will go into effect on September 8, 2016.  The new ordinance changes apply to all new floodplain use permit applications starting on September 8, 2016.    See links below for adopted documents:
The Flood Risk Map, Floodplain Management Plan, and Floodplain Ordinance Update do not directly change any flood insurance maps nor do they directly change the flood status of any property within the City of Tucson.
More information on the Tucson Floodplain Management Plan and other FEMA Region IX Risk Map Projects http://www.r9map.org/Pages/ProjectDetailsPage.aspx?choLoco=69&choProj=492

Information on the City of Tucson's D-FIRMs

Elevation Certificates

Requesting an Elevation Certificate

Floodplain Status

The Planning & Development Services Department provides written determination of FEMA Floodplain Status for only $15.00

To obtain a written documentation of floodplain status in person, please come to the City of Tucson Planning & Development Services Department in downtown Tucson at the Public Works Building, 201 N Stone, 1st floor (PDSD Customer Service Center). You may also mail in a Floodplain Status Application Form, with a $15.00 check, payable to the City of Tucson.

FEMA Floodplain Zone Status Request Form

We do not charge for a verbal floodplain status determination over the counter at the Planning & Development Services Department. We cannot provide this service over the phone.

You may also come downtown to learn your current FEMA status, local floodplain status, as well as preliminary Digital FIRM floodplain information.

FEMA Information

You can determine the FEMA floodplain status of your property by going to the following link; follow the step-by-step tutorial:

FEMA Floodplain Maps - Search by Address

Am I in a floodplain?

City of Tucson GIS - Floodplain Maps available under Engineering Tab in Table of Contents

Floodplain Use Permits

Applications for a Floodplain Use Permit (FUP) may be obtained in our office at 201 N. Stone Ave during our regular business hours and are subject to the following regulations:

(a)   Except as otherwise provided in these regulations, it shall be unlawful for any person to establish, erect, alter or relocate a use or structure in the regulatory floodplain or an erosion-prone area as described in section 26-11.1(2) without first obtaining a Floodplain Use Permit from the city engineer.

(b)   It shall be unlawful for any person to perform any grading operation in or alteration of any watercourse in violation of this chapter. Without written authorization from the city engineer, any such act, including excavation of any kind, is a public nuisance per se and may be abated, prevented or restrained by action of the city.

(c)   No license, permit or other similar approval for any development which would be in conflict with the provisions of this chapter shall be issued by any department, official or employee of the city; and any such license, permit or approval, if issued in conflict with the provisions of this chapter, shall be considered null and void.

The following fees are imposed on applications for Floodplain Use Permits:

      Floodplain Use Permit - $50.00 (plus a $16.50 record archiving fee)

      Review of engineering studies, including review of first resubmittal - $150.00

      Review of subsequent resubmittals - $300.00