Monroe County adopts watershed master plan to retain CRS Class 3 flood‑insurance discount

Monroe County commissioners voted to adopt the 2026 Watershed Master Plan during the March 11 meeting, a document staff and consultants said is required to preserve the county’s CRS Class 3 rating under the National Flood Insurance Program. Consultant Laurie Lear summarized the county’s multi‑year work to reach and sustain the rating and described why an updated watershed master plan is a prerequisite for the next audit cycle.

"We are a CRS class 3," Laurie Lear told the board as she walked commissioners through the plan’s history and the modeling work performed. Staff noted the adopted plan is tied to a Florida Division of Emergency Management grant (H0856) and said the deliverables were completed on schedule. Commissioners moved and approved transmittal/adoption of the resolution; the motion was seconded and carried without roll‑call tallies recorded in the transcript.

Consultants highlighted project categories included in the plan — elevation of high‑risk structures, pump‑assisted injection wells and road elevation work — and policy recommendations such as revisiting stormwater levels of service and shoreline ordinance updates. Staff said the county’s investment in watershed planning produced substantial premium‑savings estimates for taxpayers historically and that maintaining the plan is essential to keeping those discounts.