Applied GIS (GEOG 421), David Kelley
Spring 2017
The City of Elk River is home to a number of water bodies including streams, rivers, and lakes. These water bodies have been mapped by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for flooding concerns. These maps outline Floodplains (Floodways and Floodfringe) within city limits. Building in Floodplains must follow state regulations, as adopted by the city. However, maps have not always been made available to the City of Elk River. Because of this, there are a number of houses located within the Floodplains that are now considered non-conforming as they were not built to today’s standards for flood protection to the structure, residents, or property. In some cases, houses are in great danger of flooding, while others may not actually be in the floodplain area. Students will identify the properties which contain Floodplain and further identify any structures located within the Floodplain. They will also examine which of these structures, if any, could be considered incorrectly mapped. This information will inform the city’s decisions regarding different options to address non-conforming properties, such as buying out these non-conforming properties.
Read the final student report delivered to the local gov/community partner.
Sustainable Communities Partnership Contact Info
University Faculty Contact
David Kelley
Geography
dwkelley@stthomas.edu
6519625569
Local Government / Community Contact
Brandon Wisner
Stormwater Coordinator