MANASOTA & PEACE RIVER BBDs Meeting Notebook 10-21-09.docx

M115
Sarasota - FEMA Map Modernization
Project Type FEMA/Map Mod.
AOR(s)
Flood Protection
Basin(s) General Fund (District), Manasota
Cooperator(s)
Project Manager TURNER, DAWN
Task Manager(s)
Status Ongoing
Federal Emergency Management Agency
Description
This project is to perform Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) flood insurance rate map (FIRM)
modernization which includes 1) Topographic Information, 2) Watershed Evaluation, and 3) Watershed Management
Plan elements of the District's Watershed Management Program (WMP) for numerous Sarasota county watersheds.
The county covers an area of approximately 570 square miles. Under this project the FIRMs will reflect updated flood
hazard risk areas and be modernized to a digital product.
Benefits
The WMP provides a method to evaluate the capacity of a watershed to protect, enhance, and restore water quality
and natural systems, while achieving flood protection. The information developed provides the science for the District's
Resource Management and Environmental Resource Permitting (ERP). It assists local governments: 1) With their land
management responsibilities by establishing a level of service and developing Best Management Practices (BMPs) to
address level of service deficiencies. 2) Provides a Geodatabase and projected results from watershed model
simulations for floodplain management and water quality management. The FIRMs are used by local governments for
land management and building permitting to satisfy the minimum requirements of the National Flood Insurance
Program.
Costs
The total budget amount for this project is $2.42 million. FEMA is contributing $2 million for the project. $420,000 in
Manasota Basin Board funds approved in FY2004 for project L019 were used towards updating the digital topographic
information for the entire County in conjunction with this FEMA map modernization effort. When each element is
completed the project budget will be refined based on the information gathered.
Additional Information
The WMP includes five major elements: 1) Topographic Information, 2) Watershed Evaluation, 3) Watershed
Management Plan, 4) Implementation of Best Management Practices, and 5) Maintenance of Watershed Parameters
and Models. Implementing elements of the WMP with local governments is one of the Comprehensive Watershed
Management (CWM) initiative strategies and one of the District's Strategic Priorities. The District is cooperating with
FEMA to modernize the FIRMs in Sarasota County. Information developed with this project will be used to update and
modernize the FIRMs for the entire county. Staff has worked with the FEMA to improve and formalize the District's
relationship with a federal agency that shares flood protection responsibilities. FEMA and the District executed a
Cooperating Technical Partners (CTP) Memorandum of Agreement on September 14, 2001. As a CTP, the District is
eligible for federal grants and matching funds to further efforts to modernize the flood insurance rate maps (FIRMs).
The District executed a Mapping Activity Statement with FEMA that identifies costs, responsibilities, and specific
activities to complete the FEMA Map Modernization effort for watersheds in Sarasota county. The District will
coordinate with the local government(s), will manage the project, and will enter into purchase orders and agreements
to accomplish project tasks. With FEMA funding several tasks of the Watershed Evaluation and Watershed
Management Plan elements for priority watersheds within the county will be accomplished. Watersheds will be
prioritized based on the needs of the local governments and the District. Because of funding constraints some
watersheds will not be studied in detail. The risk information from the current FIRMs will be transferred to the
modernized, digital maps. These watersheds will be studied in detail when additional funding is available through the
cooperative funding process. Work on the Watershed Management Plan element for the priority watersheds will
include the following tasks: survey, data management and development of watershed parameters, GIS processing,
computer modeling, and floodplain analysis. FEMA is responsible for working with the local communities for the
adoption of the DFIRMs. Future cooperative funding request(s) will be required to complete remaining Watershed
Evaluation and Watershed Management Plan tasks (e.g. LOS determination, surface water resource assessment, and
BMP alternative analysis).
021 - Manasota Basin 368