Protect Your Property from Flood Hazard

There are practical and cost-effective methods to reduce or eliminating flood damage including elevation of structures, flood-proofing, and protecting utilities. Town staff is available to meet with you and visit your site to review your flood problems and make recommendations. There may be sources of financial assistance available to help you mitigate flood losses to your property that we can share with you.

Work within the flood hazard areas and floodways must comply with the Town Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance (Ross Municipal Code Chapter 15.36).  Any work within 25 feet of a creek or watercourse (even a seasonal watercourse) requires design review.  So, always check with the Building and Planning Departments before you build on, alter, re-grade, or fill on your property. A permit may be needed to ensure that projects do not cause problems on other properties or impact wildlife habitat. 

• Above the Flood: Elevating Your Floodprone House, FEMA-347 (2000)
• Answers to Questions About the National Flood Insurance Program, F-084 (2011)
• Elevated Residential Structures, FEMA-54 (1984)
• Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance, Ross Municipal Code Chapter 15.36
• Information on FEMA Flood Hazard Mapping
• Protecting Building Utilities From Flood Damage, FEMA-P-348 (1999)
• Protecting Floodplain Resources, FEMA-268 (1996)
• Reducing Damage from Localized Flooding, FEMA 511 (2005)

Flood insurance

Flood damage may not be covered by standard property insurance, but flood insurance is available.  The Town of Ross participates in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), which makes federally backed flood insurance available for all eligible buildings, whether they are in a floodplain or not.  Flood insurance covers direct losses caused by surface flooding, including a creek flowing over its banks or local drainage problems such as flooding caused by a blocked culvert.

• The National Flood Insurance Program
• Mandatory Purchase of Flood Insurance Requirements

Maintain the Drainage System

The watercourses and drainage ways in Town may be a major cause of flooding when blocked.  Please be sure that any watercourse or drainage way on or adjacent to your site is clean and clear of all obstructions and debris.  The water should be able to flow freely under fences.

Do not dump or throw anything into ditches or streams: A plugged channel cannot carry water, and when it rains, the excess water must go somewhere. Trash and vegetation dumped into a stream degrades water quality of both the stream itself and its receiving waters, and every piece of trash contributes to flooding.

Remove debris, trash, loose branches and vegetation: Keep banks clear of brush and debris to help maintain an unobstructed flow of water in stream channels. Do not, however, remove vegetation that is actively growing on a stream bank. Streamside vegetation is tightly regulated by local, state and federal regulations. Before undertaking any removal of streamside vegetation, contact the Town.   Please report any observations of the clearing of vegetation or trees on stream banks to the Town.
 

For additional and site-specific information please contact:

Public Works Department
Town of Ross
31 Sir Francis Drake Boulevard
PO Box 320
Ross, CA 94957
(415) 453-1453 ext. 115
rsimonitch@townofross.org
 

Local Projects to Reduce Flooding

Ross Valley Flood Protection and Watershed Program

The Ross Valley Watershed and Flood Protection Program was initiated after the 2005 New Year’s Eve flood. The Program, under the leadership of Supervisor Katie Rice and in partnership with Ross Valley’s four cities and towns as well as environmental, business and community organizations, is charged with the development and implementation of a region-wide, flood protection program that integrates envi­ronmental stewardship and restoration.

The program has a 10 Year Work Plan that will create a 25-Year-Flood level of flood protection. This is the first phase of a 20 year program to achieve a 100-Year-Flood level of protection.

The program is funded through the Ross Valley Watershed Storm Drainage fee assessed on property owners throughout the watershed. This locally generated funding source provides the local match necessary to leverage state and federal agency grants, which are needed to fully fund the program. The overall cost of the program is currently estimated at $130 million.

• Ross Valley Flood Protection Program Publications and Reports
• Ross Valley Flood Protection and Watershed Program  

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Unit 4 Project

The Army Corps of Engineers' Unit 4 project is a critical component of the Ross Valley Watershed Flood Protection Program. Unit 4 extends from the upstream end of the existing concrete channel of Corte Madera Creek (behind the Ross Post Office) to the Sir Francis Drake Boulevard Bridge at the upstream boundary of Ross. Significant components of the Unit 4 project include: (1) a natural sediment basin within the existing channel, (2) raising of the floodwalls in Units 2 and 3, (3) removal and replacement of the fish ladder, and (4) bank stabilization work along the Unit 4. The project will reduce the flooding risk, as well as fully respect the environmental concerns expressed by the community, including minimizing the use of concrete, maintaining a way for fish to pass, and preserving plants and trees.

There is no certain date for the actual completion of this project, which was originally assigned by the U.S. Congress forty-seven years ago.

• Army Corps of Engineers Corte Madera Creek/Fish Ladder Project “Unit 4 Project”

Natural and beneficial functions of floodplains and creeks

Floodplains are a natural component of the environment. Understanding and protecting the natural functions of floodplains helps reduce flood damage and protect resources. When flooding spreads out across the floodplain, its energy is dissipated, which results in lower flood flows downstream, reduced erosion of the streambank and channel, deposition of sediments higher in the watershed, and improved groundwater recharge. Floodplains are scenic, valued wildlife habitat. Poorly planned development in floodplains can lead to streambank erosion, loss of valuable property, increased risk of flooding to downstream properties and degradation of water quality. In addition to reducing flood damage, the Town seeks to protect creek areas since they provide habitat for protected species including Central California coastal steelhead trout.

Friends of Corte Madera Creek Watershed
Friends of Corte Madera Creek Watershed, an all-volunteer, non-profit organization, was founded in 1995 to protect and enhance the natural ecosystems of the area, especially those relating to urbanized creeks and wetlands.

Marin County Stormwater Pollution Prevention Program
The Marin County Stormwater Pollution Prevention Program (MCSTOPPP) is a joint effort of Marin's cities, towns and unincorporated areas to prevent stormwater pollution; protect and enhance water quality in creeks and wetlands; preserve beneficial uses of local waterways; comply with State and Federal regulations; and ensure coordination and consistency of approaches across Marin.