Prior to construction, development, or change of use activity within the floodplain or Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA), you must obtain a floodplain development permit from the City. The goal of this process is to help reduce risks to people and property in areas that are subject to flooding.

To review Salem's floodplain overlay zone regulations please view the Salem Revised Code Chapter 601.

Get a Permit

Please contact us to determine if you need a floodplain development permit as well as what documentation or information is required for issuance of the permit. At a minimum, you will need to provide:

• A description of the work to be covered by the permit
• Plans drawn to scale showing the nature, location, dimensions, and elevations of the area
• A list of existing or proposed structures
• Information about fill, storage materials, and drainage facilities
• The location of the activity

This information can be submitted electronically to a floodplain manager or in person at the Public Works permit office. New or substantially improved structures must be submitted through the Permit Application Center.

Definitions

To determine building requirements for new or substantially improved structures in the floodplain, it is important to understand the definitions of some terms used for floodplain management purposes.

• Structure or building—a walled and roofed building, including a gas or liquid storage tank, that is principally above ground, as well as a manufactured home. It does not include open pavilions, bleachers, carports and similar structures that do not have at least two rigid walls and a roof.
• Substantial improvement—any repair, reconstruction, rehabilitation, addition, replacement, or other improvement of a structure, the cost of which equals or exceeds 50 percent of the market value of the structure before the start of construction of the improvement. This term also includes structures which have incurred substantial damage.
• Substantial damage—damage sustained by a structure whereby the cost of restoring the structure to its condition immediately prior to the damage would equal or exceed 50 percent of the market value of the structure before the damage occurred.
• Base Flood Elevation – the elevation to which floodwater is anticipated. All new and substantially improved structures and their associated service facilities must be elevated a minimum of one foot or more above the base flood elevation. Please contact a flood plain manager to determine the base flood elevation relative to your property.

Requirements for Structures

To minimize damage to structures during flood events, the City requires all new and substantially improved structures in the floodplain to be anchored against movement by floodwaters, be resistant to flood forces, and to be constructed with flood resistant materials. In addition, new structures and substantial improvements to existing structures must be elevated so that the lowest floor (including the basement) is at least one foot above the base flood elevation. All electrical, mechanical, plumbing, and other service facilities shall be elevated a minimum of one foot above the base flood elevation. This can be done in one of the following ways:

• Elevation on fill
• Elevation on piles, posts, piers, or columns
• Elevation on walls or a crawlspace
• Dry floodproofing for any non-residential structure

Builders should work closely with a registered professional land surveyor, engineer, or architect authorized by law to certify elevation information. It is helpful to involve your survey professional early in the planning stages of a project so that minimum required elevations can be marked on-site. An elevation certificate will be required prior to permit issuance or scheduling a foundation inspection. You will also need to provide an elevation certificate after completion of the proposed structure and prior to issuance of the final certificate of occupancy. Elevation certificates are permanently retained by the City and provide essential information demonstrating compliance with local and federal floodplain development requirements.

Questions or Concerns

If you have concerns about construction activity or structures being erected in the floodplain without a permit, you can file a complaint about building construction and a floodplain manager will investigate the concern.

Substantial Damage to Structures

After a presidentially declared disaster, homes damaged by flood waters will be inspected to determine whether a structure was damaged to the extent that it will have to meet current building codes and floodplain management regulations when it is repaired. The City must also make a determination of “substantial damage” to a severely damaged home or other structure in a Special Flood Hazard Area, regardless of the cause of damage. This can include damage caused by events such as fire, windstorms, ice and flooding. If the cost of repairing the structure is 50 percent or more of its market value before the disaster, it is considered substantially damaged. Land value is not a consideration; the determination is based strictly on the value of the damaged structure. If your home or structure has been damaged and your property is in a Special Flood Hazard Area, please contact a local floodplain manager prior to preparing repair plans. 

Additional Resources

City of Salem, Community Planning and Development, Development Services
503-584-4646
Contact Development Services to speak with a Floodplain Manager or if you have questions about the interactive floodplain map.

City of Salem, Community Planning and Development, Planning
503‑588‑6173
City Planners can provide information about protection of vegetation and trees along waterways and tree removal.

City of Salem, Emergency Preparedness
503‑588‑6211
For assistance in an emergency, call 911. Contact us to learn more about preparing for a disaster or for information on the City's emergency management program.

City of Salem, Public Library
503‑588‑6052
The library collection contains floodplain publications and other floodplain-related information.

City of Salem, Public Works Dispatch
503‑588‑6311
Call dispatch if you discover problems with a street or your water / sewer service (i.e. broken pipe, pothole, environmental spill, clogged street drain).

Mid Willamette Valley High Water Watch
503-588-6333
Watch View current stream levels and rainfall data in near real-time from a number of sites across the City.

National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP)
1‑888‑379‑9531
The Floodsmart website provides information about the National Flood Insurance Program, answers questions about flood insurance, and provides assistance to find local insurance agents that offer flood insurance.

Oregon Department of State Lands (DSL)
503‑378‑3805
DSL reviews and issues removal/fill permits for development activities in waterways and wetlands.

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE)
503‑808‑4510
To find out more information about the USACE Flood Risk Management Program.