Check Floodplain Status

There are options for determining whether a particular property is located in a Special Flood Hazard Area, or SFHA (1% annual chance floodplain or 100-year floodplain). All SFHA zone designations begin with an "A". Zones C, D and X are not SFHAs.

• Large scale maps are available by clicking the desired area:
  • Lake Pillsbury Area (PDF)
  • Upper Lake Area (PDF)
  • Lakeport and Scotts Creek Area (PDF)
  • Big Valley Area (PDF)
  • Lower Lake and Clearlake Area (PDF)
  • Middletown and Hidden Valley Area (PDF)
  • Clearlake Oaks Area (PDF)
  • Nice and Lucerne Area (PDF)
• For parcel specific information, you can determine the flood zone(s) that overlie a property by entering the property address. This application will also show whether the Department has a copy of an Elevation Certificate on file or if there is a Letter of Map Revision for the property.
• The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has the Digital Flood Insurance Rate Maps (DFIRM) available online. You can view flood maps online using Natural Flood Hazard Layer.
• The Lake County website has a Geographic Information System (GIS) site that shows the DFIRM. When you are in the maps, be sure to check the Flood Zones box under the Change Map Layers button in the upper right.
• The Water Resources Department will determine whether a property is in or out of the SFHA as shown on the current DFIRM. Additional flood insurance data for a property, such as the DFIRM zone and the base flood elevation or depth.
• The Water Resources Department has been keeping copies of Elevation Certificates on file for the last eighteen years. Copies of Elevation Certificates are available to the current property owner or their agents. If the structure was constructed since 1978, the Building and Safety Division 707-263-2382 may also have an Elevation Certificate on file.
• The Community Rating System (CRS) Program has just released 8 videos that cover training on the FEMA Elevation Certificate (EC). The videos describe each Section of the EC and explain which fields on the form are required for CRS purposes and why. Each video explains the most common errors we see on the forms and how to avoid them. We also have 2 videos covering general issues associated with ECs such as form date rules, page rules, how to handle annexations, how to handle Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) changes after a building is permitted, and how to document different kinds of buildings. And lastly, we have a video on how to correct and EC once you find one with errors.

When making an inquiry, please call the Water Resources Department at 707-263-2344. Tell us the Assessor's Parcel Number or the address. There may be a nominal charge for some of these services.