The Colorado Water Conservation Board is committed to supporting Colorado communities by providing technical and regulatory advisory assistance for floodplain management including local programs that identify and manage Fluvial Hazard Zones. The Fluvial Hazard Zone (FHZ) is defined in the State of Colorado as the area a stream has occupied in recent history, may occupy, or may physically influence as the stream stores and transports water, sediment, and debris. The purpose of providing a model ordinance is to assist local officials in addressing the risk fluvial hazards pose to people and property in their communities through zoning. Visit Colorado Fluvial Hazard Zone for more information and FAQs about Fluvial Hazard Zone mapping.
When adopted, the Fluvial Hazard Zone Overlay District becomes a zoning requirement that correlates to a community’s adopted Fluvial Hazard Zone Maps. The model ordinance provides suggested text for the establishment and regulation of a Fluvial Hazard Zone Overlay District. The specific language in the model ordinance can be tailored to meet a community’s needs for integration into existing planning and regulatory mechanisms. The recommendations throughout the model ordinance are considered best practices but are not mandated by the State of Colorado.