Frequently Asked Questions - Resilient St. Vrain

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Frequently Asked Questions

Flood Information
- Do I need a permit to build in a floodplain area?
  A permit is required before any construction or development can begin within any special flood hazard area (SFHA). The city requires a Floodplain Development Permit for all proposed construction or other development in the city including the placement of manufactured homes proposed within flood-prone areas. Permits are required to ensure that proposed development projects meet the requirements of the NFIP and the City of Longmont floodplain regulations. Visit the Floodplain Development Permit webpage for more details.
- Do I need to purchase flood insurance?
  Flood insurance is available for any property, regardless of whether it is located within a floodplain. Learn more on the Flood Information - Flood Insurance webpage.
- How can I determine if my property is in a regulatory floodplain?
  Find out whether your property is at risk for flooding by entering your address in Longmont's Floodplain Inquiry Map, available through the Flood Information - Are You in a Floodplain? webpage.
- Is the City or County doing anything to fix the St. Vrain Creek channel?
  Collaborative efforts are under way by both Boulder County and the City of Longmont to make the St. Vrain Creek capable of safely carrying up to 100-year flood flows. Learn more about Longmont's efforts on our Resilient St. Vrain webpages and find Boulder County's information on the St. Vrain Creek Master Plan.
- What can I do to be prepared for future flooding?
  Visit the Flood Preparedness and Safety webpage to learn what actions Longmont's Office of Emergency Management takes and how to stay connected in case of flooding in our community. And review ways to improve your property's resilience to flooding on the Protect Your Property from Flooding webpage.
- Where can I find real-time info about creek flows and view creek cameras?
  Visit our Flood Information - Status and Monitoring webpage.
- Where can I sign up to be notified if there is a flood or emergency event?
  Be sure you sign up for the Longmont Reverse Emergency Notification System to receive real-time, emergency notification on devices beyond a traditional landline telephone. The system is used to notify our community if evacuation is needed. You will only receive notifications during an emergency. You can register cell phones, VoIP accounts and email accounts. The system is “geo-based,” which allows you to link your devices to your home address. If an evacuation is needed and your home address is included, you will be notified regardless of where you are (at work in Denver, out shopping, etc.).
Resilient St. Vrain Project
- How can I stay up to date on progress on the Resilient St. Vrain project?
  Stay up to date on what's happening with the Resilient St. Vrain project by subscribing to the Resilient St. Vrain Roundup quarterly newsletter, reading posts on the Building a Resilient St. Vrain blog, or attending a public open house or event. Find all the details on the Events & Updates webpage.
- How long will Resilient St. Vrain construction take?
  This extensive, multi-year undertaking is anticipated to take 7-10 years to complete. Work will be completed in sections, moving upstream. The timeline includes periods for vegetation regrowth to protect natural habitat as sections are completed, as well as work to secure additional funding.
  
  Learn more on the Resilient St. Vrain Areas of Work & Schedule webpage.
- How much will Resilient St. Vrain cost? Who is paying for the project?
  The cost for work to rebuild the St. Vrain Greenway and to restore and revitalize the St. Vrain Creek channel is estimated between $120 million and $140 million. Partial project funding for Resilient St. Vrain is coming from a variety of sources.
  - $20 million in voter-approved Storm Drainage Bonds
  - Additional funding will come from a combination of existing City funds (including the 3/4-cent Street Fund tax), plus monies from Federal Emergency Management Agency, Federal Highway Administration, State, County and Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery funding.
  The City continues to seek grants and other funding possibilities to fully fund this long-term and extensive project to protect the community.
  
  Learn more on the Resilient St. Vrain Funding webpage.
- How will work progress along the St. Vrain Creek?
  Work is progressing from downstream to upstream. Learn more on the Resilient St. Vrain Areas of Work & Schedule webpage.
- St. Vrain Creek or St. Vrain River: Which is correct?
  It's St. Vrain Creek. Geographical names are assigned by the U.S. Board on Geographic Names (part of the U.S. Geological Survey), which has designated the body of water that runs through Longmont as St. Vrain Creek. Learn more about how the geographic names program works here, or view the USGS feature detail report for St. Vrain Creek here. The creek begins at the confluence of the North and South St. Vrain Creeks in Lyons and flows east to join the South Platte River northwest of Platteville. Along the way, Left Hand Creek and Boulder Creek flow into the St. Vrain Creek as well.
- What are some of the ways Resilient St. Vrain considers the environment and wildlife?
  Learn about some of the ways that consideration for wildlife, trees and the environment play major roles in Resilient St. Vrain on the Environmentally Responsible Planning webpage.
- What is Resilient St. Vrain?
  Resilient St. Vrain is the City of Longmont’s extensive, multi-year undertaking to fully restore the St. Vrain Greenway trails and improve the St. Vrain Creek channel to protect people and property from future flooding. Without these improvements, vulnerable portions of our community remain at risk for flood damage.
  
  Learn more on the Resilient St. Vrain webpage.
- What is the status of construction on Resilient St. Vrain?
  Construction is well underway on the Resilient St. Vrain project. Visit the Areas of Work & Schedule webpage for details.
- What species are being planted as part of the Resilient St. Vrain Project?
  Hundreds of thousands of native species are being planted as part of work on Resilient St. Vrain. These include trees, grasses, forbs, shrubs, and other plant varieties. View this list of plant species to get an idea of some of the varieties being incorporated into the project. (Note: List is subject to change as additional plants are included.)
- Why is Resilient St. Vrain being designed to meet 100-year flood flows?
  Design plans for Resilient St. Vrain use 100-year flood flows and the 100-year floodplain as benchmarks. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), state and local agencies use the 100-year floodplain in regulatory processes related to building permits and environmental regulations, as well as for setting flood insurance requirements and costs.
  
  Learn more on Resilient St. Vrain's Conveying 100-Year Flood Flows webpage.
- Why is the City working on the St. Vrain Creek?
  A major flood event in September 2013 severely impacted Longmont, especially along the St. Vrain Creek. This flooding affected many properties within and outside of the floodplain. A flood event of this magnitude had not been experienced in Longmont since 1894, and it served as a reminder that the risk of major flood events is real and ever-present. From the disaster comes the opportunity to protect the community while restoring the St. Vrain Creek channel and improving its resilience to future flooding.
  
  Learn more on the Resilient St. Vrain webpage.

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Frequently Asked Questions - Resilient St. Vrain

Restore & Revitalize

Blog

Newsletter

Contact Us

Frequently Asked Questions

Flood Information

Do I need a permit to build in a floodplain area?

Do I need to purchase flood insurance?

How can I determine if my property is in a regulatory floodplain?

Is the City or County doing anything to fix the St. Vrain Creek channel?

What can I do to be prepared for future flooding?

Where can I find real-time info about creek flows and view creek cameras?

Where can I sign up to be notified if there is a flood or emergency event?

Resilient St. Vrain Project

How can I stay up to date on progress on the Resilient St. Vrain project?

How long will Resilient St. Vrain construction take?

How much will Resilient St. Vrain cost? Who is paying for the project?

How will work progress along the St. Vrain Creek?

St. Vrain Creek or St. Vrain River: Which is correct?

What are some of the ways Resilient St. Vrain considers the environment and wildlife?

What is Resilient St. Vrain?

What is the status of construction on Resilient St. Vrain?

What species are being planted as part of the Resilient St. Vrain Project?

Why is Resilient St. Vrain being designed to meet 100-year flood flows?

Why is the City working on the St. Vrain Creek?

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