Chapter 1 — INTRODUCTORY PROVISIONS

901-01. STATUTORY AUTHORIZATION.

• A. The Legislature of the State of California has, in Government Code Sections 65302, 65560, and 65800, conferred upon counties the authority to make and enforce regulations designed to promote the public health, safety, and general welfare of its citizenry. Therefore, the Board of Supervisors of the County of Sacramento does hereby adopt the following floodplain management regulations.

• B. In the event of a conflict between these regulations and state or federal laws or regulations the more restrictive requirement shall take precedence.

901-02. FINDINGS OF FACT.

• A. The special flood hazard areas and local flood hazard areas of the County are subject to periodic inundation which results in loss of life and property, health and safety hazards, disruption of commerce and governmental service, extraordinary public expenditures for flood protection and relief, and impairment of the tax base, all of which adversely affect the public health, safety, and general welfare.

• B. Flood losses may be avoided by development standards described in this Ordinance including elevating new construction safely above the recognized flood hazard and minimizing the

cumulative effect of encroachments in special and local flood hazard areas, which may increase flood heights and velocities.

901-03. STATEMENT OF PURPOSE.

It is the purpose of this ordinance to promote public health, safety, and general welfare, and to minimize public and private losses due to flood conditions in specific areas by provisions designed to:

• A. Protect human life and health;

• B. Minimize expenditure of public money for costly flood control projects;

• C. Minimize the need for rescue and relief efforts associated with flooding and generally undertaken at the expense of the general public;

• D. Minimize prolonged business interruptions;

• E. Minimize damage to public facilities located in special flood hazard areas and local flood hazard areas;

• F. Ensure that current flood hazard data is available for property owners, prospective buyers, insurance agents, real estate agents, and other interested parties;

• G. Ensure that those who develop in special flood hazard areas or local flood hazard areas do so pursuant to this ordinance; and

• H. Ensure that those who develop special flood hazard areas or local flood hazard areas assume responsibility for their actions.

901-04. METHODS OF REDUCING FLOOD LOSSES.

In order to accomplish its purposes, this ordinance includes methods and provisions to:

• A. Restrict or prohibit development which is dangerous to health, safety, and property due to flood hazards, or which results in damaging increases in flood heights or velocities;

• B. Require that development vulnerable to floods, including facilities that serve such development, be protected against flood damage at the time of initial construction;

• C. Control the alteration of natural floodplains, stream channels, and natural protective barriers, which help accommodate or channel flood waters;

• D. Control filling, grading, dredging, and other development which may increase flood damage; and

• E. Prevent or regulate the construction of flood barriers that will unnaturally divert floodwater or which may increase flood hazards in other areas.