These regulations, in conjunction with the Uniform Construction Code, provide minimum requirements for development located in flood hazard areas, including the subdivision of land and other developments; site improvements and installation of utilities; placement and replacement of manufactured homes; placement of recreational vehicles; new construction and alterations, repair, reconstruction, rehabilitation or additions of existing buildings and structures; substantial improvement of existing buildings and structures, including repair of substantial damage; installation of tanks; temporary structures and temporary or permanent storage; utility and miscellaneous Group U buildings and structures; and certain building work exempt from permit under the Uniform Construction Code; and other buildings and development activities.
The Township of Mullica was accepted for participation in the National Flood Insurance Program on March 1, 1982. The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) floodplain management regulations encourage that all Federal, State, and Local regulations that are more stringent than the minimum NFIP standards take precedence in permitting decisions. The FHACA requires that the effective Flood Insurance Rate Map, most recent preliminary FEMA mapping and flood studies, and Department delineations be compared to determine the most restrictive mapping. The FHACA also regulates unstudied flood hazard areas in watersheds measuring 50 acres or greater in size and most riparian zones in New Jersey. Because of these higher standards, the regulated flood hazard area in New Jersey may be more expansive and more restrictive than the FEMA special flood hazard area. Maps and studies that establish flood hazard areas are on file at the office of the Township of Mullica Zoning Officer designated as the Floodplain Administrator, Township of Mullica, Township Hall, 4528 White Horse Pike, Elwood, NJ 08217. The following sources identify flood hazard areas in this jurisdiction and must be considered when determining the best available flood hazard data area:
A. 
Effective flood insurance study.
(1) 
Special flood hazard areas (SFHAs) identified by the Federal Emergency Management Agency in a scientific and engineering report entitled "Flood Insurance Study, Atlantic County, New Jersey (All Jurisdictions)," dated August 28, 2018, and the accompanying Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRM) identified in Table 131-10A whose effective date is August 28, 2018 are hereby adopted by reference.
Table 131-10A
Map Panel #
Effective Date
Revision Letter
34001C0019
August 28, 2018
F
34001C0040
August 28, 2018
F
34001C0041
August 28, 2018
F
34001C0043
August 28, 2018
F
34001C0044
August 28, 2018
F
34001C0063
August 28, 2018
F
34001C0110
August 28, 2018
F
34001C0130
August 28, 2018
F
34001C0132
August 28, 2018
F
34001C0135
August 28, 2018
F
34001C0140
August 28, 2018
F
34001C0142
August 28, 2018
F
34001C0145
August 28, 2018
F
34001C0151
August 28, 2018
F
34001C0152
August 28, 2018
F
34001C0153
August 28, 2018
F
34001C0154
August 28, 2018
F
34001C0161
August 28, 2018
F
(2) 
Letter of map amendment determination documents are listed on the "Revalidated Letters of Map Change for Township of Mullica, NJ" letter dated August 21, 2018. This letter can be obtained by contacting the Township of Mullica's Floodplain Administrator. Additionally, this information and any more updated information is available on FEMA's Map Service Center by searching for LOMC (letter of map change) listed under effective products in the search results for the Township of Mullica, Atlantic County, New Jersey.
B. 
Federal best available information. Township of Mullica shall utilize federal flood information as listed in the table below that provides more detailed hazard information, higher flood elevations, larger flood hazard areas, and results in more restrictive regulations. This information may include but is not limited to preliminary flood elevation guidance from FEMA (such as Advisory Flood Hazard Area Maps, work maps or preliminary FIS and FIRM). Additional federal best available studies issued after the date of this chapter must also be considered. These studies are listed on FEMA's Map Service Center. This information shall be used for floodplain regulation purposes only.
Table 131-10B
Map Panel #
Effective Date
Revision Letter
34001C0142G
January 30, 2015
34001C0145G
January 30, 2015
34001C0152G
January 30, 2015
34001C0153G
January 30, 2015
34001C0154G
January 30, 2015
34001C0161G
January 30, 2015
C. 
Other best available data. The Township of Mullica shall utilize high-water elevations from flood events, groundwater flooding areas, studies by federal or state agencies, or other information deemed appropriate by the Township of Mullica. Other "best available information" may not be used which results in less restrictive flood elevations, design standards, or smaller flood hazard areas than the sources described in § 131-10A and B above. This information shall be used for floodplain regulation purposes only.
D. 
State-regulated flood hazard areas.
(1) 
For state-regulated waters, the NJ Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) identifies the flood hazard area as the land, and the space above that land, which lies below the "Flood Hazard Area Control Act Design Flood Elevation", as defined in Article IX, and as described in the New Jersey Flood Hazard Area Control Act at N.J.A.C. 7:13. A FHACA flood hazard area exists along every regulated water that has a drainage area of 50 acres or greater. Such area may extend beyond the boundaries of the special flood hazard areas (SFHAs) as identified by FEMA. The following is a list of New Jersey State studied waters in this community under the FHACA, and their respective map identification numbers.
Table 131-10D
List of State Studied Waters
Township of Mullica
Name of Studied Water
File Name
Map Number
Landing Ck
S0000037
1 of 2
Mullica River
S0000047
5 of 12
Mullica River
S0000048
6 of 12
Mullica River
S0000049
7 of 12
Mullica River
S0000050
8 of 12
Mullica River
S0000051
9 of 12
Mullica River
S0000052
10 of 12
Mullica River
S0000053
11 of 12
Mullica River
S0000054
12 of 12
(2) 
Flood Plan Locator on the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection website: https://njdep.maps.arcgis.com/home/item.html?id=9ef439b13cd54693840967a237e6b520.
(3) 
NJ Flood Profiles on the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection website: https://njdep.maps.arcgis.com/home/item.html?id=67578724c67b4c57a5b566dfa886df48.
(4) 
FEMA Map Service Center: https://msc.fema.gov/portal/home.
A. 
The local design flood elevation (LDFE) is established in the flood hazard areas determined in § 131-10, above, using the best available flood hazard data sources, and the Flood Hazard Area Control Act[1] minimum statewide elevation requirements for lowest floors in A, Coastal A, and V zones, ASCE 24 requirements for critical facilities as specified by the building code, plus additional freeboard as specified by this chapter. At a minimum, the local design flood elevation shall be as follows:
(1) 
For a delineated watercourse, the elevation associated with the best available flood hazard data area determined in § 131-10, above plus one foot or as described by N.J.A.C. 7:13 plus two feet of freeboard or at least four feet above adjacent grade as required for AO zone as discussed in Subsection A(3) below; or
(2) 
For any undelineated watercourse (where mapping or studies described in § 131-10A and B above are not available) that has a contributory drainage area of 50 acres or more, the applicants must provide one of the following to determine the local design flood elevation:
(a) 
A copy of an unexpired NJDEP Flood Hazard Area Verification plus two feet of freeboard and any additional freeboard as required by ASCE 24 to comply with this chapter, whichever is greater; or
(b) 
A determination of the flood hazard area design flood elevation using Method 5 or Method 6 (as described in N.J.A.C. 7:13) plus two feet of freeboard and any additional freeboard as required by ASC 24. Any determination using these methods must be sealed and submitted according to §§ 131-10 and 131-11.
(3) 
AO Zones. For Zone AO areas on the municipality's FIRM (or on preliminary flood elevation guidance from FEMA), the local design flood elevation is determined from the FIRM panel as the highest adjacent grade plus the depth number specified plus two feet of freeboard. If no depth number is specified, the local design flood elevation is four feet above the highest adjacent grade, whichever is greater.
(4) 
Class IV critical facilities. For any proposed development of new and substantially improved flood design Class IV critical facilities, the local design flood elevation must be the higher of the 0.2% annual chance (500-year) flood elevation or the flood hazard area design flood elevation with an additional two feet of freeboard, whichever is greater, in accordance with ASCE 24.
(5) 
Class III critical facilities. For proposed development of new and substantially improved flood design Class III critical facilities in coastal high hazard areas, the local design flood elevation must be the higher of the 0.2% annual chance (500-year) flood elevation or the flood hazard area design flood elevation with an additional two feet of freeboard, whichever is greater, in accordance with ASCE 24.
[1]
Editor's Note: See N.J.S.A. 58:16A-50 et seq.