Flood Mitigation Planning

The occurrence and impact of flooding are issues of increasing concern to Dane County residents. Severe flood damages in recent years (notably in 1993, 1996, 2000, and 2008) have cost local governments and property owners tens of millions of dollars. Smaller scale, localized flooding occurs on an annual basis.

In August 2004, Dane County’s Flood Mitigation Plan was adopted by the County Board to reduce our vulnerability to future damages to farmland, crops, homes, shorelines, and roads. The plan was developed through the involvement of Dane County citizens, local units of government, stakeholder groups, the Lakes and Watershed Commission, and various county departments. In 2009 the Dane County Flood Mitigation Plan was updated and integrated into a broader Natural Hazards Mitigation plan.

Dane County's Natural Hazards Mitigation Plan

The Flood Mitigation Plan was updated during 2009, as part of the update to Dane County’s Natural Hazards Mitigation Plan initially adopted in 2005. In addition to flooding, the updated natural hazards plan will identifies a wide range of actions to reduce the county’s vulnerability to other hazards such as winter storms and tornadoes.

To learn more about the Dane County’ Natural Hazards Mitigation Plan, visit the Dane County Emergency Management Department’s natural hazards page.