Drainage Development Review and Hydrology

The Development Review and Hydrology section handles two very different drainage functions for the Department and the public:

• Reviewing development plans
• Providing highly technical drainage-related hydraulics and hydrology information to others within the Department.

The Development Review staff evaluates new development proposals for subdivisions and commercial properties. The purpose of the review is to ensure that improvement plans submitted by the public are in compliance with drainage and floodplain management policies by conforming to County standards, drainage ordinances, and floodplain development policies (see Reports and Publications for downloadable files of these documents).

The section also administers the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) for the unincorporated portion of Sacramento County and the City of Rancho Cordova. In addition, Hydrology staff provides modeling of future watershed conditions to ensure consistency with the County General Plan.

This section also operates the Department's public counter. Homeowners, business owners, developers, and many others come to the counter each day. The section reviews their Development Applications, provides flood zone information, and a host of other drainage-related services.