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State contact says Contoocook/Warner River floodplain map adoption expected late 2026; town must rely on 2010 maps until then
Summary
Presenter Ed Mical told the Planning Board that state officials expect formal adoption of updated Contoocook watershed floodplain maps in late 2026, so the town should continue to use the 2010 maps until adoption; the study used FEMA-contracted work from 2021 and incorporated historical events and flash‑flood scenarios.
At the March 16 meeting, Ed Mical briefed the Warner Planning Board on updated floodplain mapping for the Contoocook watershed and Warner River, saying a state contact indicated the formal map adoption would not occur until late 2026 and that the town should continue to rely on the 2010 maps until adoption.
Mical said the watershed had last been formally studied in the 1970s and that FEMA hired a contractor in 2021 to review the Contoocook watershed. He explained the current effort is a multi‑party study that incorporates historical flood events and that preliminary maps show notable differences from the 2010 maps. Board members discussed the Army Corps‑designed outlet and control methods for certain spillways, and Mical confirmed the study included flash‑flood scenarios.
Board members asked whether the state provided reasons for the changes. Mical said the study accounts for landscape and engineering changes since the 1970s and incorporates past flooding events into updated calculations. Chair Karen Coyne flagged an Open Public Discussion scheduled for March 26, 2026 on the map updates.
Why it matters: updated floodplain maps can change regulatory requirements for development, insurance, and permitting in flood-prone areas. Planning staff and residents should track the formal adoption timeline and participate in the scheduled public discussion.
Next step: the board was advised to follow the state adoption process and the March 26 Open Public Discussion.
