Portage Flood Inundation Mapping

Sarah Marquardt, National Weather Service Milwaukee

River flood inundation maps for the Wisconsin River in Portage are available on the National Water Prediction River Forecast website. These interactive maps will help convey the impacts of flooding to local officials, property owners and motorists. Use these maps to answer questions like, “What roads may be impacted at 17 feet, and where are alternate, safer routes?” and “If the river reaches 18 feet, how may my property be affected?”. The study area includes about 12 miles upstream to about 8 miles downstream of the city of Portage in Columbia County. This is a flood-prone area, which includes the confluence of the Baraboo River, which also contributes to flood impacts.

These maps are based on data from the river gauge in Portage on the Wisconsin River. The river gauge shows observed water levels over time. The values (stage, in feet) are an arbitrary number to monitor changes in water level and do not represent the water depth. The National Weather Service creates water level forecasts for the river during times of high water. Users can view the river forecast crest, and then click the flood inundation map layer with the river forecast crest value to see the approximate water coverage area and depth. Different layers can be turned on and off to compare different impacts at different water levels. When clicking on a specific location, like a road, a window will appear showing a printout of the approximate water depth.

River forecasts are displayed on the river gauge website when the water levels are forecast to reach at least Action Stage: 12.7 feet when flood impacts start to be observed. River forecasts are not shown when the water level is expected to remain below that level. From April 1 to Sept. 30, the river level forecasts include 24 hours of rainfall, and from Oct.1 to March 30, the river forecasts include 48 hours of precipitation. River levels may end up being higher than what is shown if additional precipitation is expected beyond those time frames. It is encouraged to use the tool to assess flood risk at the current forecast river level and higher levels for planning purposes.

To view the data, go to the Wisconsin River at Portage gauge webpage. Scroll mid-way down the page to beneath the map of Portage and click the box that says "Activate PORW3 FIM Gauge."

A video demonstration of the tool is also available.

These maps were created in partnership with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR), Wisconsin Emergency Management and the National Weather Service using high-resolution elevation data and river flow modeling. Additional river flood inundation mapping locations are also available.

Contact Sarah Marquardt, senior service hydrologist, at the National Weather Service Milwaukee at Sarah.Marquardt@noaa.gov or 262-965-5061 x 493 for more information or questions.

Map of river flood inundation areas at 21 feet on the Wisconsin River at the Portage River gauge.

Staff Updates

Meet Our New Regional Water Management Engineers

The DNR Dam Safety & Floodplain Program is pleased to announce that Jon Wagner, Avery Fluet, Haley Jahnel and Ben Koch recently joined our team as regional water management engineers! Jon works out of the DNR Fitchburg Service Center, Avery and Haley work out of the DNR Baraboo Regional Office and Ben works out of the Eau Claire Service Center.

Regional water management engineers are your local contact regarding technical questions on dams and floodplain studies, and they also assist with floodplain management. A complete list of the water management engineers by county, including telephone numbers, email addresses and mailing addresses, can be found on the DNR website.

Jon Wagner: South Central Region "Hi, I’m Jon Wagner! I graduated from the UW-Platteville with a Bachelor of Science in environmental engineering. Prior to my time with the DNR, I had the pleasure of working as an intern for Oneida Engineering Solutions. I am also currently serving as a member of the Wisconsin Army National Guard as an engineer officer. In my free time, I play rugby at the Wisconsin Rugby Club in the area and volunteer with the Dane County Humane Society. I live in Madison with my partner, Molly, and our two dogs, Finn and Milton."

Avery Fluet: West Central Region "Hello! My name is Avery Fluet, and I am a graduate of UW-Platteville with a degree in environmental engineering. I spent several years working in private consulting doing civil and stormwater design before coming to the DNR. Some past experience from internships includes land surveying, sanitary and storm sewer inspections and reviewing submitted inspection data for quality control. In my free time, I love to play Dungeons and Dragons with my church group and try new restaurants with my wife, Sammy. I also work Sundays at Misty Mountain Games in Madison (come say hello!). My favorite outdoor activities are kayaking, fishing and golfing. It is an incredible honor to be working with an amazing team, and I am excited for a life-long career with the Waterways Program here at the DNR."

Haley Jahnel: West Central Region "I graduated from UW-Platteville in 2020 with an environmental engineering degree. I have lived in Appleton most of my life, but I moved to Madison in 2021 for work and then to Edgerton when I bought a house. I live with my partner, Kyle, and our two cats, Kiri and Stinky. In my downtime. I enjoy weight training, reading, cross stitching, crocheting, playing video games and boardgames and volunteering at the Humane Society of Southern Wisconsin."

Ben Koch: West Central Region "Hello all! I am originally from Wausau and currently living in Medford.  I attended UW-Madison, earning a civil engineering degree. At this point, I took a little bit of a left turn, following a passion in youth development and education – this included leading international adventure trips for teenagers and environmental education programs for schools. This led me to pursue a master's in outdoor education, and I spent the last 10 years working with teenagers struggling with mental health. I am excited to return to my engineering roots and join the Waterways program as a water resources engineer.  I will be based in the Eau Claire office and look forward to meeting and working with you in the coming years! Outside of work, I enjoy spending time with my wife, Amy, our two kids and our dog and cat. I am an avid paddler, enjoying both whitewater canoeing and kayaking, and I am working on turning my kids into campers and backpackers. I also greatly enjoy eating, both exploring what I can cook myself as well as the many restaurants and cuisines of places I visit. I am excited to join the DNR team!"

Meet Our New Floodplain Program Ordinance And Communications Expert The DNR Dam Safety & Floodplain Program is pleased to announce that Mia Van Horn has accepted the position of floodplain ordinance and communications expert and started her new role on June 3. If you’ve worked on floodplain issues, especially an update or amendment to your floodplain zoning ordinance, Mia’s name may sound familiar. In this new role, Mia will provide a strong focus on managing statewide review and approval of local community ordinance adoptions and implementing education, outreach and training deliverables in support of federal grant responsibilities.  Mia Van Horn has been with the Floodplain Program for the past 5 1/2 years and at the DNR since 2012. Mia currently coordinates and reviews floodplain zoning ordinances. She also assists Wisconsin communities in joining the National Flood Insurance Program, ordinance interpretation, technical assistance and education. Previous to her floodplain work, she worked for the Dam Safety Program, writing emergency action plans and inspection operation and maintenance plans for DNR-owned dams and also worked for the DNR Wildlife and Natural Heritage Conservation programs. Prior to her return to Wisconsin, she spent eight years in Florida working for the Nature Conservancy and the South Florida Water Management District. Mia holds a Master of Science in ecology from the University of Missouri-Columbia and a Bachelor of Science in wildlife and natural resource management from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. Mia enjoys spending time with her family (especially her new grandson), gardening and warm weather. She is looking forward to serving in her new role in the program!

Meet Our New Shoreland Zoning Regulatory Expert The DNR Shoreland Zoning Program is pleased to announce that Sue Vanden Langenberg has accepted the position of shoreland zoning regulatory expert. Sue started in her new role on March 25 and is working out of the Green Bay DNR office. "Prior to my new role as shoreland zoning program coordinator/expert, I was a zoning administrator for Door County for just over 23 years. Leading up to my time as a code administrator, I worked for the DNR as an LTE in the Fisheries Program and helped the water management specialist at the Sturgeon Bay office. After obtaining my master’s degree from UW-Green Bay, I was recruited to be the field coordinator for the Malformed Frog Investigation at the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. As an undergrad and a grad student, I worked for the Sea Grant Institute, collecting field samples and working in the lab to determine the spread of zebra mussel larvae in Green Bay and many inland lakes within lower Michigan. I enjoy fishing, turkey hunting and camping with my husband, Tim, daughter, Maggie, and son, Adam. My love of the outdoors and curiosity for nature stemmed from being immersed in the outdoors during summers at my grandma’s cabin in Northern Wisconsin, where I spent endless hours swimming, fishing, catching frogs and exploring the woods. I look forward to working with all of you!"

DNR’s Shoreland Zoning Team: Who We Are And What We Do

The Shoreland Zoning Team is here to provide guidance and technical assistance to county-regulated Shoreland Zoning [NR 115], city/village-regulated Shoreland-Wetland Zoning [NR 117] and county, city and village-regulated Lower St. Croix National Scenic Riverway Zoning [NR 118].

The Shoreland Zoning Team coverage map contains contact information for Sue Vanden Langenberg, water reg/zoning specialists Dale Rezabek and Kathi Kramasz and Kay Lutze, NR basin supervisor, who is currently the contact for Lower St. Croix National Scenic Riverway questions.

The Model Shoreland Zoning Ordinance was sent to the Wisconsin County Code Administrators and is now posted on the DNR website. The model ordinance includes legislative changes (2017 Act 68, 2021 Act 105 and 2021 Act 200) related to bridges, fences and the access and viewing corridor. It is important to note that these legislative changes took effect the day after publication. The model ordinance can be used as a guide and provides language to support your administration of the shoreland zoning regulations. We look forward to working with you through the amendment and certification process. This process ensures the county’s responsibility to maintain a compliant ordinance and provides the groundwork so counties can continue to make legally defensible decisions.

Your partnership is greatly appreciated!

Contact Information For Shoreland Zoning Staff:

• Dale Rezabek, Dale.Rezabek@wisconsin.gov or 920-267-1739

• Kathi Kramasz, Kathleen.Kramasz@wisconsin.gov or 920-893-8531

• Sue Vanden Langenberg, Susan.Vandenlangenberg@wisconsin.gov or 608-843-3290

Lower St. Croix National Scenic Riverway

• Kay Lutze, Kay.Lutze@wisconsin.gov or 920-360-0472

Shoreland Zoning Reminders

Shoreland Zoning Ordinance Amendments/Adoption

If you are adopting new or revised shoreland (NR 115), shoreland-wetland (NR 117) and Lower St. Croix National Scenic Riverway (LSCR) (NR 118) zoning ordinances, please provide the appropriately assigned DNR staff person with the following information:

• A draft of the proposed shoreland, shoreland-wetland or LSCR zoning ordinance revisions – with sufficient time for review and potential revisions prior to public review and public hearing.
• A copy of the public hearing notice 10 days prior to the hearing for shoreland and shoreland-wetland zoning ordinance revisions and 30 days prior to the hearing for LSCR zoning ordinance revisions.
• A copy of the affidavit of publication for the public hearing notice.
• A copy of the affidavit of publication for the adopted revised ordinance.
• A copy of the signed and dated shoreland, shoreland-wetland or LSCR zoning ordinance resolution, including the resolution/ordinance number, within 10 days after the revisions are made (note no specific time requirement listed in NR 118 for LSCR).
• A copy of the certified shoreland, shoreland-wetland and/or LSCR zoning ordinance.

Please reach out to your DNR contact if you would like to see examples for your use.

Variances, Rezonings And Conditional Use Permits/Special Exception Permits

For local shoreland (NR 115), shoreland-wetland (NR 117) and LSCR (NR 118) zoning requests, please provide the appropriately assigned DNR staff person with the following information:

• A public hearing notice for all shoreland, shoreland-wetland and LSCR zoning-related variance, conditional use or special exception and rezoning (appeal for a map or text interpretation, map or text amendment) requests at least 10 days prior to the hearing for shoreland and shoreland-wetland zoning requests, and at least 30 days for LSCR zoning requests.
• A copy of the application packet, site maps, diagrams and staff report (if prepared) or an electronic link to these items along with the hearing notice.
• A copy of these decisions within 10 days after the shoreland or shoreland-wetland hearing and within five working days after the LSCR hearing.

Are you struggling to create review forms or need some guidance related to procedures? We are happy to provide guidance and/or offer examples and tools to help.

Training Opportunities

Training opportunities are provided by the Center for Land Use Education for plan commissioners, local officials, planning and zoning staff, clerks and administrators, towns, cities, villages or counties. Register now.

• Introduction to the Plan Commission, Wednesday, June 26, 2024
  (6 - 7 p.m.)
• Introduction to the Zoning Board, Wednesday, July 10, 2024 (6 - 7 p.m.)

Floodplain Zoning Reminders

Wisconsin Floodplain Training Zoom Webinars – Now With Recordings Available After The Webinar

For anyone who attended "office hour" sessions, this is simply a continuation with a more appropriate title since those were essentially training webinars. These one-hour webinars are primarily geared toward those who enforce a floodplain ordinance, such as village clerks/administrators, planners, zoning administrators and floodplain managers.

• July 18, 2024, 10 a.m. – Floodplain Management and Campgrounds
  • Download the calendar invite OR
  • Join the Zoom meeting
    • Meeting ID: 815 2027 7803
    • Passcode:107333
• Aug. 15, 2024, 10 a.m. – When Do You Need DNR Concurrence? A Vision of the Relationship Between the Local Community and Regional WME
  • Download the calendar invite OR
  • Join the Zoom meeting
    • Meeting ID: 816 3802 9678
    • Passcode: 205380
• Sept. 19, 2024, 10 a.m. – Floodplain Management Downstream of Dams
  • Download the calendar invite OR
  • Join the Zoom meeting
    • Meeting ID: 857 1488 5500
    • Passcode: 889540
• Oct. 17, 2024, 10 a.m. – Cumulative 50% Tracking and Maintenance
  • Download the calendar invite OR
  • Join the Zoom meeting
    • Meeting ID: 870 5208 7025
    • Passcode: 426219

FEMA Region 5 Virtual Trainings Continue

FEMA Region 5 staff (based in Chicago) are continuing their monthly one-hour virtual training series. They are free but require registration.

Please note that Wisconsin requires higher standards than the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) minimum standards. This training by FEMA will focus on the latter, which will not necessarily align with the State of Wisconsin's requirements. These trainings are still an excellent resource for learning about the process and documentation requirements.

Upcoming “Managing your Community’s Floodplain” monthly series dates and topics:
Note: All held 9-10 a.m. Central Time, and the subject is a hyperlink to the registration.

• June 26, 2024: Floodplain Management Higher Standards
• July 31, 2024: Managing Map Changes
• Aug. 28, 2024: Resolving Potential Violations: Floodway, Low Floor, Vents
• Sept. 25, 2024: Accessory and Agricultural Structures
• Oct. 30, 2024: Great Lakes Coastal Floodplain Management
• Nov. 27, 2024: Natural and Beneficial Functions
• Dec. 18, 2024: Community Rating System (CRS)

New National Flood Insurance Program Manual Available

FEMA has released the updated edition of the National Flood Insurance Program’s (NFIP) Flood Insurance Manual. The new Flood Insurance Manual, which became effective April 1, 2024, reflects the NFIP’s existing underwriting requirements and its current rating methodology. It does not change flood insurance coverage or supersede the terms and conditions of the Standard Flood Insurance Policy. Read more.

Note: This article was reprinted from the WAFSCM newsletter.

Flashback Article

We all work in a fast-paced environment and have experienced staff turn-over. For these reasons, we will be trying to include the “flashback” section as a reminder of topics covered in a previous newsletter that are still attention-worthy. Here's an article from summer 2016.

Applicability Of The Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) In The Administration Of Shoreland Zoning Ordinances

Does your county ordinance contain language to deal with requests for reasonable accommodations by disabled or handicapped persons? The granting of a variance is not the appropriate route for granting “reasonable accommodations” required by ADA except in circumstances where the variance criteria are satisfied. The Wisconsin Supreme Court stated in the Snyder decision that “practical difficulties or unnecessary hardship do not include conditions personal to the owner of the land, but rather to conditions especially affecting the lot in question….It is not the uniqueness of the plight of the owner, but the uniqueness of the land causing in plight, which is the criterion for issuing a variance.” 74 Wis.2d at 478. 

The zoning ordinance should provide a section for granting a special permit to deal with the relaxation of standards for persons with disabilities. The special permit should provide the accommodation for only as long as the disabled persons reside on the property. It is important to note that not all requests warrant a reasonable accommodation and the granting of a special permit. 

The department provided guidance to local zoning staff regarding this topic and the Fair Housing Act in 2002. If you would like a complete copy of the guidance, please send an email to Kay.Lutze@wisconsin.gov with “ADA Guidance Request” in the subject line.

The following is sample ordinance language from a county ordinance:  

The zoning administrator may issue a special permit to relax the standards of this ordinance in order to provide reasonable accommodations as required by provisions of federal and state law. Such relaxation shall be the minimum necessary to be consistent with federal guidelines for accommodation of persons with disabilities and shall, where practicable, be terminated when the facility is no longer used by the disabled person. A person applying for a permit for construction under this section shall establish the nature and extent of the disability and that the relaxation requested is the minimum necessary to provide reasonable use of the facility.  A deed restriction or affidavit for the reasonable accommodation shall be filed with the register of deeds. What are some specific requests where a “reasonable accommodation” might be requested? A ramp, porch or small deck that would allow the disabled person to enter and exit the building would be an example of a reasonable accommodation. 

Estimated FEMA RiskMAP Status In Wisconsin By County

RiskMap (Risk Mapping, Assessment and Planning) is a FEMA-led process used to make flood insurance rate maps (FIRMs). However, this is only one thing created as part of this process. Various datasets, hazard mitigation analysis and communication tools are shared with affected communities. Each of these tools helps support communities move toward flood resiliency. Datasets related to flood risk products work alongside regulatory products to provide flood risk information and support the community’s floodplain management and hazard mitigation strategies.

Letter of Final Determination (LFD) and effective dates are important milestones in a flood risk project. The LFD is a letter sent to the community CEO stating there are new or updated FIRMs. Receipt of this letter starts the 6-month adoption compliance phase of the process, where communities need to update their floodplain ordinances by the map’s effective date to remain in good standing in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). The table below shows when the LFD will be distributed and the 6-month window in which cities, villages and counties must complete the adoption process.

The DNR can help the community draft the ordinance to help save on costs. Our assistance is provided to communities free of charge. If you are interested, please contact the DNR at dnrfloodplain@wisconsin.gov. The department will be reaching out to all affected communities shortly after the start date to offer assistance.

*Please note that the dates listed above are tentative for communities that still need to go through LFD.

About The Wisconsin Floodplain Management Program

The program's goals are to protect life, health and property; to minimize costs for flood control projects; to reduce tax dollars spent for rescue, relief and repair of flood damage; to shorten business interruptions caused by flooding; to prevent future flood blight areas; to discourage victimization of unwary land and home buyers; and to prevent increased flood levels caused by unwise floodplain development.

Contact Us

Floodplain: Sarah Rafajko, Sarah.Rafajko@wisconsin.gov

Shoreland: Sue Vanden Langenberg, Susan.VandenLangenberg@wisconsin.gov

Dam Safety: Uriah Monday, Uriah.Monday@wisconsin.gov

Floodplain and Shoreland Management Notes is published by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources' Waterways Bureau. The purpose of the newsletter is to inform local zoning officials and others concerned about state and federal floodplain management, flood insurance, shoreland and wetland management, and dam safety issues. Comments or contributions are welcome. Please send comments to DNRFloodplain@Wisconsin.gov.

This newsletter is supported by funding through the FEMA Cooperative Agreement as part of the Community Assistance Program-State Support Services Element of the National Flood Insurance Program. The contents do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the federal government.