The Floodplain Conservation District shall consist of the following
specific areas/districts:
A. The Floodway Area/District shall be those areas identified as floodway
on the FIRM as well as those floodway areas which have been identified
in other available studies or sources of information for those special
floodplain areas where no floodway has been identified in the FIS.
The floodway represents the channel of a watercourse and the adjacent
land areas that must be reserved in order to discharge the base flood
without cumulatively increasing the water surface elevation by more
than one foot at any point.
(1) Within any floodway area, no encroachments, including fill, new construction,
substantial improvements, or other development shall be permitted
unless it has been demonstrated through hydrologic and hydraulic analysis
performed in accordance with standard engineering practice that the
proposed encroachment would not result in any increase in flood levels
within the community during the occurrence of the base flood discharge.
(2) No new construction or development shall be allowed, unless a permit
is obtained from the PADEP.
B. The AE Area/District shall be those areas identified as an AE Zone
on the FIRM included in the FIS prepared by FEMA for which BFE have
been provided.
(1) The AE Area adjacent to the floodway shall be those areas identified
as an AE Zone on the FIRM included in the FIS prepared by FEMA for
which BFE have been provided and a floodway has been delineated.
(2) AE Area without floodway shall be those areas identified as an AE
zone on the FIRM included in the FIS prepared by FEMA for which BFE
have been provided but no floodway has been determined.
(a)
No permit shall be granted for any construction, development,
use, or activity within any AE Area/District without floodway unless
it is demonstrated that the cumulative effect of the proposed development
would not, together with all other existing and anticipated development,
increase the BFE more than one foot at any point.
(b)
No new construction or development shall be located within the
area measured 50 feet landward from the top-of-bank of any watercourse,
unless the appropriate permit is obtained from the PADEP.
C. A Area/District.
(1) The A Area/District shall be the areas identified as an A Zone on
the FIRM included in the FIS prepared by FEMA and for which no one-percent-annual-chance
flood elevations have been provided. For these areas, elevation and
floodway information from other federal, state, or other acceptable
source shall be used when available. Where other acceptable information
is not available, the elevation shall be determined by using the elevation
of a point on the boundary of the Floodplain Conservation District
which is nearest the construction site.
(2) In lieu of the above, the Floodplain Administrator may require the
applicant to determine the elevation with hydrologic and hydraulic
engineering techniques. Hydrologic and hydraulic analyses shall be
undertaken only by professional engineers or others of demonstrated
qualifications, who shall certify that the technical methods used
correctly reflect currently accepted technical concepts. Studies,
analyses, computations, etc., shall be submitted in sufficient detail
to allow a thorough technical review by the Floodplain Administrator.
D. The Shallow Flooding Area/District shall be those areas identified
as Zones AO and AH on the FIRM and in the FIS. These areas are subject
to inundation by one-percent-annual-chance shallow flooding where
average depths are between one and three feet. In Zones AO and AH,
drainage paths shall be established to guide floodwaters around and
away from structures on slopes.
The Floodplain Conservation District may be revised or modified
by the Township where studies or information provided by a qualified
agency or person documents the need for such revision. However, prior
to any such change, approval must be obtained from the FEMA. Additionally,
as soon as practicable, but not later than six months after the date
such information becomes available, the Township shall notify FEMA
of the changes by submitting technical or scientific data.
Prior to development occurring in areas where annexation or
other Township boundary changes are proposed or have occurred, the
Township shall review flood hazard data affecting the lands subject
to boundary changes. The Township shall adopt and enforce floodplain
regulations in areas subject to annexation or Township boundary changes
which meet or exceed those in 44 CFR 60.3.