Floodplain Management

Brazos River at 59 looking south towards Memorial Park and Festival Site

The City of Sugar Land participates in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), which is administered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The NFIP establishes flood zones and minimum flood levels to set flood insurance premiums. It also establishes construction standards for buildings in the Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA) with type "A" and "V" flood zones. The NFIP generally requires a flood insurance policy for any property in the SFHA that is covered by a mortgage, because most financial institutions are backed by federal insurance.

Natural Floodplain Function

The City of Sugar Land owns and maintains many parks and land as naturally functioning open space, including the Brazos River Park and Memorial Park, to improve the floodplain function along the natural waterways in the City. Natural functions of the floodplain include recharging groundwater, water quality through filtering of sediment and contaminants, transporting nutrients and supporting habitats for sensitive living resources. The City of Sugar Land enforces storm water quality to protect and enhance the water quality and prevent impacts to the natural floodplains through the Development Code.

Keep storm sewer inlets clean and free of debris. It is illegal to dump any type of debris into a storm sewer inlet, ditch, creek, river or other drainage way. The maintenance of the storm sewer system and road right of way is performed by the Public Works Department. If you see any illegal dumping or maintenance needs, please contact the City by calling 311 or 281-275-2900.