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Teton County Idaho’s FEMA Flood Map Updates

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On September 18th, 2024, I attended an open house for a special board with Teton County in conjunction with a FEMA representative for the updated project timeline for new (long-awaited) floodplain maps. Obviously, the information below is my interpretation of that presentation, so always verify information with State, Local and Federal officials.

The purpose of the open house was to review the preliminary floodplain map data released on August 15th. This data was last updated in 1988 with the limited technology at the time. An attempt was made in 2011 to update the mapping with a LIDAR flyover of the county in 2011. However, Teton County GIS coordinator Rob Marin (thanks, Rob) pointed out some deficiencies based on the year and time of year that may have inadvertently resulted in inaccurate and exaggerated flood data. This led to another recent flyover with a greater level of accuracy based on the timing, and newer technology. This new data will lead the way for a 90-day appeal process for those that can provide strong evidence that the new map data is inaccurate. For any objections, it should be noted that a letter of final determination is expected in the Fall of 2025, with final maps taking effect early 2026. The 90 day appeal process is expected to begin in February of 2025 and end in May of 2025. Comments can be provided, and forms are available on site at the Teton County courthouse and online for these appeal processes. This could be something as simple as an incorrect street name, or a more significant appeal such as a formal objection with evidence of inaccuracies. An appeal requires quite a bit of work, and as such, will require some form of significant evidence as to the inaccuracy, usually involving engineering (data based) reports. However, these scenarios will be investigated. These should be provided to Teton County who will pass the comments along to FEMA.

With that out of the way, the meeting was informative as to the new data, how it is mapped, and how it can be beneficial to Teton County. In attendance at the meeting was a representative for FEMA’s Region 10, Marshall Rivers. FEMA’s primary concern is safety, predicting flood risk and preparing for flood events. The last time the flood maps were updated was 1988, and with vast, new technology, FEMA was able to map not only flood information, but ranges of flood risk (as well as a side benefit of 2 foot contour elevations now available from the county). This program for updating the data was in collaboration with local government and the National Flood Insurance Programs (NFIP) in conjunction with FEMA. The federal government is responsible for mapping communities on a continuing basis. The state governments prioritize areas for future mapping studies, and local governments provide local insight and support. They also integrate the data into planning mechanisms and processes.

How are the maps made?

The maps are made using ground survey and LIDAR technology to identify areas of floodplain. The floodplain is generally an area that can be affected by flood or high water. LIDAR is a laser-based aerial tool with extraordinary accuracy that can sense surprisingly small objects. As mentioned above, a byproduct includes two foot contour elevations across almost the entire county. This data can be used by surveyors or land owners for planning and building purposes. There are limitations to these maps which include some uncertainties or uncontrollable circumstances such as log jambs, changing rivers or even land impacted by wildfires. In addition to LIDAR, hydrology and measuring the flow of water is a big consideration in establishing these maps. FEMA worked with Teton County to add study zones with some tasks led by FEMA, and others led by Teton County and other agencies.

Updated Zones and Associated Risks

This new data offers a more granular prediction as to certain areas and their risk levels. Two types of flood hazards were mapped. The moderate flood risk (Yellow, when viewing the map) is intended to show a 0.2% annual chance of flooding (or less impactful areas), and high flood risk which is estimated to be a 1% annual chance of flooding (or more impactful areas). In addition, Floodway (as indicated in these maps in red), indicate areas that could be most impactful, and should be avoided. I was unable to determine the county’s future role in special requirements or restrictions in these areas.

Insurance 

Just because a home is not in one of these identified rest areas, does not mean that there is no risk of flood. Conversely, if your home is removed from these flood areas with the new mapping, it doesn’t necessarily mean that you should cancel your existing flood insurance. According to FEMA, one out of four people who have a claim are not in an area mapped and identified as a high-risk flood area. If your property is added into flood zones in these amended maps, you may be contacted by your lender (and should consider risk insurance, regardless). My understanding is that your flood risk is evaluated by your lender and insurance provider. If homes are built above the base flood elevation of the risk area, this can minimize the added cost, or potentially even the requirement for insurance. You can learn more (and confirm my beliefs) at floodsmart.gov. 

Base Flood Elevation & Development This new data will provide some instant data for what used to require elevation certificates to prove the base flood elevations. Information that may have once required an engineer to evaluate may now be immediately available with the new data. You do need a floodplain development permit whether you are handling infrastructure or building a home, but FEMA does not restrict development in floodplain areas.

OLD DATA (circa 1988)

NEW DATA (as of August 15th, 2024)

Wetland: What Does It Mean and How Can It Impact My Property?

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***Article Update: Kent Werlin is the Senior Wetland Scientist with Biota Research and Consulting in Jackson, Wyoming. Kent was kind enough to edit my article and provide updated, more accurate information. My disclaimer stands (do your own research), and see the updated article below:

Wetlands are often confused with floodplains and flood zones. Flood zones are not always wetlands, and wetlands are not necessarily located in floodplains, though there are circumstances where either could be true. Flood zones can occur in areas next to large bodies of water or runoff areas and are often considered higher risk when it comes to flooding. However, any property can flood, not necessarily only properties in a floodplain.

Wetlands are regulated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Environmental Protection Agency under the Clean Water Act. To be considered a “wetland”, an area must meet all of the following  criteria:

1) Wetland Hydrology: To have wetland hydrology, an area must be at least saturated in the upper 12 inches of the soil profile for a period of 14 days during the growing season in 5 out of every 10 years. Active monitoring of hydrology via the use of shallow groundwater monitoring wells and/or wetland hydrology indicators are utilized by wetland professionals to determine the presence of wetland hydrology. These indicators include the presence of surface water, saturation, geomorphic position, oxidized rhizospheres (root channels), a dominance of wetland vegetation, and others.

2) Wetland (Hydrophytic) Vegetation: roughly a quarter of the plant species in the United States grow in wetland areas. To be a wetland, an area must be dominated by facultative or wetter plant species based on the National Wetland Plant List, which designates plant species as upland, facultative upland, facultative, facultative wetland, or obligate wetland. These are described below:

  • Upland – plant species that occur in non-wetland areas 99% of the time and do not indicate wetland conditions (e.g. sheep fescue, sagebrush, western wheatgrass)
  • Facultative Upland – plant species that occur in upland environments 75% of the time and in wetlands 25% of the time (e.g., orchardgrass)
  • Facultative – plant species that occur in wetland environments 50% of the time and in upland environments 50% of the time (e.g. Kentucky bluegrass, common timothy, and meadow foxtail)
  • Facultative Wetland – plant species that occur wetland environments 75% of the time and in upland environments 25% of the time (e.g. Baltic Rush, reed canarygrass)
  • Obligate Wetland – plant species that occur in wetlands 99% of the time. These species are generally indicative of wet areas. (e.g. beaked sedge, Booth’s willow, hardstem bullrush)

3) Wetland Soils: Wetland soils are often referred to as hydric soils. These soils can generally be analyzed by digging a 20-inch deep hole and looking for hydric soil indicators that indicate a high water table and/or periodic saturation within the upper horizons of the soil profile. These indicators include an abundance of organic soil matter, oxidized iron (rust colored) or manganese (purple) concentrations, and others.

Can you build in Wetland?

Wetland areas do require special permits and approvals. But first, they must be identified as wetland, usually by way of what is referred to as a wetland or aquatic resource delineation performed by a properly trained wetland consultant (such as the co-author of this article, Kent Werlin, the Senior Wetland Scientist with Biota Research and Consulting) and following the wetland delineation protocol approved by the Army Corps. Wetlands in Teton County are subject to both federal and local (county) regulations which differ in their requirements.

If a property in Teton County, Idaho shows indications of wetland presence based on the nationwide National Wetland Inventory (NWI) mapping (can be viewed via the Teton County GIS Mapserver), the county will generally require a delineation before approving subdivision or issuing grading or development permits for the subject property. Under current county regulations (Teton County Land Development Code 2022), the county requires either a 50′ or 100′ development setback on wetlands, depending on the level of analysis conducted. If a site-specific wetland delineation is conducted, the county will place a 50’ development setback on all wetlands delineated by a wetland professional and approved by the Army Corps. If there is no site-specific wetland delineation conducted, then the county falls back on the NWI mapping and requires a 100’ setback on NWI mapped wetlands.

At the federal level, the Army Corps requires a permit application for the placement of fill material (e.g., rock, gravel, concrete, soil, etc.) in jurisdictional wetlands. The Army Corps has a suite of streamlined Nationwide Permits for activities that impact up to 0.5 acres of wetland. If wetland impacts exceed 0.1 acres, then the Army Corps requires a Compensatory Wetland Mitigation Plan that involves the creation of new wetlands or enhancement of existing wetlands to compensate for development-related wetland losses.

A recent supreme court case (EPA v Sackett) decision has put the jurisdictional status of some wetlands at the federal level in question. The Army Corps is in the process of modifying their technical guidance for determining jurisdictional status based on the outcome of this court case and should be issuing guidance in the coming months. While it may be possible to impact wetland areas with the proper permits, it is important to remember the reason that these regulations exist….to protect wildlife, habitat, and waterways, often considered a key cornerstone of Teton Valley’s natural beauty.

END UPDATED ARTICLE – Special thanks to Kent Werlin, biotaresearch.com

Disclaimer: As always, I need to start out this article with a disclaimer. I know enough about many of these topics to be dangerous – which is dangerous. Always seek the advice of appropriate professionals as this information is subject to change as well as my own interpretation. I don’t often go back and update old articles, so I’ll leave this here.

Wetland should not be confused with floodplain. Flood zones are not always wetland, and wetlands are not necessarily in floodplains. Flood zones normally occur in areas next to bodies of water or runoff areas and are often considered higher risk when it comes to flooding. However, any property can flood, not necessarily only properties in a floodplain or a wetland.

How to Identify Wetland

Wetland can occur even in areas not directly adjacent to a body of water and is usually determined by three primary factors:

1) Hydrology: Hydrology indicators can include the presence of surface water or wet soils as determined by evidence or review by a wetland professional utilizing different tools or testing to understand the presence of water.

2) Vegetation: Roughly a quarter of the plant vegetation species in the United States grow in wetland areas. Plant species can be classified in a number of different ways as identified below in order of wet to dry:

  • Obligate Wetland (usually very indicative of wetland areas) ie Sedges (which have triangular, sharp stems) and Willow
  • Facultative Wetland (usually occur in wetlands, but occasionally found in non-wetlands) ie Horsetail, Baltic Rush
  • Facultative (equally likely to occur in wetlands or non-wetlands) Meadow Foxtail, Timothy, Brome, Bluegrass
  • Facultative Upland (usually occur in non-wetlands, but occasionally found in wetlands) ie Potentilla
  • Obligate Upland (almost always occur only in non-wetlands) ie Sheep Fescue

3) Soils: Wetland soils are often referred to as hydric soils. These soils can be analyzed by digging a hole (usually 12-18 in deep) and looking at indications of saturated soils that usually show indications of oxygen depletion. This can be evidenced (essentially) by rust in the soils and the coming and going of water, creating oxidation. Oxidation can be due to iron and is usually identified by orange flecks in the soil or manganese which will reveal itself with a purple color.

Can you build in Wetland?

Wetland areas do require special permits and approvals. But first, they must be identified as wetland, usually by way of what is referred to as a Wetland Delineation performed by a properly trained wetland Consultant.

If a particular property shows indications of wetland, Teton County, Idaho will generally require a Wetland Delineation. They have requirements of 50′ or 100′ setbacks, depending on the delineation findings. If the project looks like it will encroach within 50′ of wetlands as indicated by the Delineation, the county may require a Jurisdictional Determination (JD) from the Army Corps of Engineers. If there are any questions on a project, despite setbacks, the Teton County Planning Staff may still send the information to the Corps for review. A JD is the process of Determining whether areas indicated as wetland are regulated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers under section 404 of the Clean Water Act and/or Section 10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act.

If a property is determined to be wetland, with the proper permits it may be possible to impact up to 0.1 acre of wetland for driveway, septic, and a home site. If wetland is mitigated to another area, these improvement areas can be increased to 0.5 acres.

Wetland areas can make tremendous home sites, but it is important to remember the reason that these regulations exist in order to protect wildlife, habitat and waterways, often considered a key cornerstone of Teton Valley’s natural beauty.

Sources:

Deferred Maintenance and its Impact on Value

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Homeownership comes with maintenance. In fact, it can oftentimes be one of the key driving factors for one to consider selling a home, particularly in an area subject to second homes, as well as the high maintenance aspects of Teton Valley. From snow removal to home staining and constant deck refinishing, it isn’t always easy.

In past articles I have identified home upgrades that can help with resale value, but one of my most recent articles on the subject was way back in 2015. The cost of remodeling, additions and even maintenance was significantly lower back then. As a result, my (current) advice is typically to sell as-is without major upgrades because the return on investment can be so hard to achieve. In some events, I provide this same advice even for deferred maintenance, because the availability of contractors can be so limited that one might miss an opportune sale window by waiting for contractors.

Because of this, I can’t stress the importance of ongoing maintenance (and repairs) enough. Throughout my career in real estate I have witnessed so many circumstances where a seller concession was so much more than the collective maintenance would have been. The same goes for repairs. A small shower glass leak that continually pools water eventually finds its way to the subfloor, creates mold, requires tile replacement, etc. While this seems obvious, what we tend to forget about is the additional cost of a sales concession to satisfy a concerned buyer. We usually can’t remedy a bathroom overhaul during a contract period. As a result, buyers look for concessions in excess of the cost of repair, which honestly makes sense. They assume the liability of the repair, the risk of unseen damage, the organization and completion of the task and the inconvenience of it all until completed. There was a time through 2021 where sellers didn’t need to make concessions in order to finalize the sale, but the market has shifted, even if it hasn’t been as much with respect to values.

In addition to the concession needed to satisfy a buyer that is so often in excess of the cost of maintenance repair, the other obvious benefit of regular home maintenance and repair is how well a home shows during its time as a real estate listing. It’s amazing how much sooner offers are received, how much more buyers are willing to negotiate, and how fewer days on market accumulate with well-maintained homes in good order. While feng shui and declutter is important, the feeling of a well-maintained home is hard to beat.

With the above said, below is a list of home maintenance items I often see overlooked.

Staining!
Nearly every home inspection report comes back with siding maintenance either desperately needed, or recommended. It’s easy to put this one off, year by year – particularly when you contact the local staining company of your choice each Spring, just to learn that they are booked through Fall. Make your appointments in the Winter, and get on the schedule early. The frequency of home staining can vary dramatically. I stain my full wraparound deck every other year, but only need to stain the exterior of my home about every 10 years. My home is mostly shaded, but receives heavy snow load on the decks that I clear after every storm with a snow blower. The lack of direct sunlight and wind-driven moisture provide shelter for my house, but most homes in Teton Valley are subject to high UV sunlight (something we sometimes miss) and wind that both drives moisture and dries siding. Stains with high transparency tend to need more frequent maintenance whereas opaque stains or paints usually don’t need refinishing quite as often. There’s a big argument between oil and water-based stains, but I’m not getting into that with this article. At any rate, once siding loses its protection layer, it doesn’t take long for warping, cupping, cracking and the loosening of fasteners to occur, only adding to the cost of the deferred maintenance.

Decks and Deck Railings
Same comments, above.

Roofs/Ice Dams
There’s no better time to take care of ice dams than in the Summer months when you can stand on your roof! You can read a recent article HERE.

Stone, Metal, Flashing
Stone or brick falling away from chimneys and homes are usually doing so for a reason. Finding the source of a water leak, bad flashing, etc. can save a major overhaul down the line.

Windows
Window seals often fail, and getting glass replaced can take months to find contractors, order glass and install. Waiting until you have a contract on your home puts you in the precarious position I described at the outset of the article. On a related side note, removing window screens during the Winter months is a great way to add longevity to them.

Driveway Sealing and Sidewalks
Sealing concrete is becoming ever more important with Idaho salting roads for Winter safety. This chemical compound rides with your car in the wheel wells and undercarriage, and melts away on your concrete drive creating “spalling”. Simply sealing concrete can help you avoid costly repairs. While asphalt tends to be more resilient in this area, it also requires sealing. Settling concrete walks are also relatively common in the area. Many foam injection companies have moved into the region, offering concrete leveling without the jackhammer. Leveling and sealing sidewalks so that you aren’t worrying about concessions (and trip hazards) down the line is an easy repair and offers great peace of mind.

Hardwood Floors
Hardwood floor refinishing is another one of those services that can vastly improve value, but it requires scheduling far in advance of listing your home for sale.

Lawn & Sprinkler Maintenance
If you’ve ever noticed those hard water deposits on a few of your windows or the white “arcs” on the side of your house, a simple sprinkler adjustment can easily remedy the problem and save thousands in repairs. Similarly, weeding and grounds maintenance is a whole lot easier before it gets out of control.

Rodent and Pest Control
I’ve touched on this and past articles, but rodents and pests can wreak havoc on homes. Field mice can cause significant issues relative to home systems, particularly insulation in crawl spaces. Carpenter ants can do nearly as much damage as termites (which we generally don’t have) in this area, particularly with timber or log homes. Getting a handle on pest control at the outset is a must.

HVAC / Plumbing
Other overlooked maintenance items include furnace filters, house ventilation filters, dryer vent cleaning, electric heater register cleaning, water filtration replacement, HRV filter cleaning and more. If you aren’t capable or interested in maintaining these items, have it noted every time these home systems are serviced by a professional. If you are, a dry erase marker on your HVAC duct is a great indicator as to the last time all of these home systems were serviced. Buyers asking for concessions for these types of services (if they are not obviously maintained) is common.

Tile, Stone and Grout Sealing
Most tile does not require sealing, but stone and granite countertops as well as grout lines usually do. Most stone fabricators will tell you that the initial sealant on granite countertops is good for anywhere from 5 to 10 years, and grout can be sealed more frequently, even as much as annually depending on traffic patterns and use. This isn’t a fun task, but it’s something to consider.

General Cleaning
Easy to forget surfaces such as the tops of cabinets and window tracks are much easier to keep clean if they are cleaned frequently. No, I don’t clean my window tracks every year, but I try to do it every other year if I can.

Each home is different, and each home requires a unique maintenance procedure. Keeping a notepad along with your other house service manuals and getting a feel for your investment can not only save costly repairs down the line, but also pay back in dividends when it comes time to sell.

What I’ve Learned About Ice Dams

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Every Winter this comes up. As a Realtor and property manager, I’ve had plenty of firsthand experience here. I think the best way to categorize this article is to break it into two parts; prevention during construction, and repair measures to address ice dams that form after construction. First, let’s go over what an ice dam is, and why it occurs.

Ice damming, what is it, and why does it occur?

Most homes have a roof overhang that extends behind the house. The area that extends beyond the house is not heated whereas the area directly above the living area of the home will inevitably realize some heat loss. As that heat rises into the attic space above the ceiling and insulation, it ultimately reaches the bottom side of the roof which will begin to melt the snow on the roof. The water then begins to travel down the roof. As it reaches the unheated portion of the roof overhang, it re-freezes. This is where an ice dam is formed. The longer this occurs, the further the ice backs up towards the heated portion of the roof, possibly finding an entry point for water into the living areas of the home.

New Construction

It’s impossible to predict where or how an ice dam is going to form. However, we can take some preventive steps, and it’s best to pay special attention to the North side of your project where the roof will see the least amount of sun to help melt away snow and ice. The first line of defense is going to be proper soffit and roof ventilation. If you can prevent the residual heat from warming the underside of the roof and melting snow, we can minimize the amount of ice that will form it on the unheated areas of the roof. This can be done a few different ways.

Ventilation

Usually a proper roof ventilation system will include soffit vents on the underside of the unheated roof overhang portion of the roof as well as roof vents near the top or highest point of the roof where rising heat can escape. Normally your insulator will install what are called “baffles” which prevent the insulation that will be later added from covering the vents in the soffit or roof overhang. It is absolutely key that you have this section inspected before and after insulation (if possible) to ensure that the baffles are not crushed or moved during the insulation process, thus covering the vents and not allowing airflow. I have also seen additional venting in gable ends and even power vent fans to help push the warm air out of the attic cavity. Understanding that not all roof designs have an attic, it doesn’t necessarily mean that the roof cannot be ventilated. I have built shed roof style homes and installed plywood to create a small gap the full length of the roof from the bottom end all the way up to the ridge to add a layer of air ventilation just as a precautionary measure, even on a roof that would normally slide snow such as a metal roof.

Insulation

Insulation is one of those sensitive topics with me. I have my own opinions on insulation types and where they are best applied, but I’ll save that for another article. If you do have a home design with an attic, it’s more affordable than you might think to add more insulation than the building code requires. If we can slow down the heat loss into the attic, we can slow down how much snow begins to melt on the underside of the roof. While the code does require substantial insulation in roofs in our area, there’s good reason to consider overdoing it if you’re going to upgrade something.

Ice and water shield

Most builders will install a waterproof membrane from the roof’s edge beyond the habitable space in the house. As the water backs up, it will be stopped by this impermeable layer, or at least that’s the idea. With every construction job that I’ve been involved with, I’ve opted for ice and water shield on the entire surface of the roof. Yes, this is an added cost. However, ice dams aren’t the only things that cause leaks and the extra insurance might be something to consider.

Existing Construction

The more time you spend in Teton Valley the more you will realize that not every winter is the same. One season might not create any ice damming issues while the next creates significant problems. It’s all about freeze/thaw, temperature, sun, snow load, the list goes on. That being said, almost everybody is going to experience an ice damming problem if they form a long-term relationship with Teton Valley. If you do, I think it’s important to look at causation and repair options.

What is causing the ice dam?

We can go back to the new construction measures to see if they were properly applied with the existing construction. Usually attic spaces are accessible (even though it isn’t very much fun) and those insulation baffles, assuming they exist, can sometimes be inspected after the fact. If one finds that there is no attic ventilation or poor ventilation, roof vents or gable vents can be added after the fact relatively easily. It’s a great time to assess the damage in the Winter months, and be prepared to make repairs in the Summer months when it is safer to do so.

Remedy Option 1, Vents

As mentioned above, roof vents can be installed after the fact. This can be great option to help expel some of the heat out of the attic space. In extreme cases where ventilating the existing roof is impossible, there have been projects (even locally) that have built a replacement roof on top of the existing roof that is ventilated to provide that much needed air gap.

Remedy Option 2, Heat cable

Sometimes heat cable is a necessary evil. We tend to avoid it or turn it off because of the cost, but if it saves us from expensive damages inside our home, it may be the only option available. Heat tape comes in many forms from budget DIY to professionally engineered and installed systems. Further, these systems can be installed with a simple electrical outlet, or hardwired into a 220 volt breaker. The severity of the issue is usually an indicator as to which direction might be best. Either way, remember to extend the heat cable beyond the unheated portion of the roof to above the heated portion for the most effective results.

Remedy Option 3, Shoveling and/or Steaming

Roof shoveling (be sure to consider someone who is insured) can be an easy and effective remedy, especially when an issue is discovered mid-season. In addition, roof steaming is an effective option to remove stubborn ice dams without damaging your roof, but it’s usually an expensive one.

Obviously I am a Realtor, not a builder. Check with your contractor on these ideas, and be careful!

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