What is a floodplain?
A floodplain is the part of the land where water collects, pools, and flows during the course of natural high-water events. San Joaquin County is located in a historic natural floodplain. Before we had levees and other flood protection infrastructure, our entire area was frequently covered with water. The levees and other flood control infrastructure provide limited protection to certain areas by forcing high water to flow past us without flooding. For the Map Modernization process, we speak of a property as being in the floodplain if it is within an area not considered to be protected from a 100 year flood. This includes some properties that are not protected by any levees, or properties that are protected by levees that are not expected to provide protection against a 100-year or greater flood.
