Missoula County holds open house on updated floodplain maps

MISSOULA COUNTY, Mont. — Missoula County held the first of four public open house meetings to walk residents through updated floodplain maps for parts of the Clark Fork River, Bitterroot River and Rock Creek.

The county says the changes could affect some property owners.

Missoula County is working with FEMA and the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation to update floodplain maps for the three waterways. Officials say the updated maps are meant to give residents a more detailed look at which areas may be at risk of flooding and what that could mean for their property.

"Our floodplain maps for the Clark Fork River, Bitterroot River and Rock Creek are almost 50 years old," said Matt Heimel, floodplain administrator of Missoula County. "We need newer, better, more accurate flood risk data to help support land use management in the floodplain and even to guide homeowners, insurers, lenders and emergency responders and understanding what our flood prone areas are."

The process has been years in the making, with county officials gathering flood flow data since 2020.

People who may be affected are being encouraged to attend the meetings to ask questions, review the proposed changes and learn how to submit an official comment or appeal through FEMA.

"As a community, we should all be concerned about major floods, because even if you're not in a floodplain, having good land use management in our flood risk areas is going to reduce that community wide burden," Heimel said.

The first open house was held from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Fairgrounds Floriculture Building in Missoula.

Missoula County has three more open houses scheduled this month in Lolo, Frenchtown and Clinton.