Floodplains Law and Legal Definition
According to 7 CFR 761.2 [Title 7 – Agriculture; Subtitle B Regulations of The Department of Agriculture; Chapter VII Farm Service Agency, Department of Agriculture; Subchapter D Special Programs; Part 761 General Program Administration; Subpart A General Provisions], floodplains are “lowland and relatively flat areas adjoining inland and coastal waters, including flood-prone areas of offshore islands, including at a minimum, that area subject to a one percent or greater chance of flooding in any given year. The base floodplain is used to designate the 100-year floodplain (one percent chance floodplain). The critical floodplain is defined as the 500-year floodplain (0.2 percent chance floodplain).”
