Planning in advance of potential flooding can reduce risks to health and safety as well as costs and damages to private and public property and infrastructure. From hazard mitigation plans to development ordinance updates, many locally implemented best practices could be used broadly throughout the region and can help achieve multiple community benefits, such as increased green space, lower flood insurance premiums, and higher property values. Municipalities can locate development and critical facilities, such as treatment plants, hospitals, and civic institutions, away from floodplains and other floodprone areas. Restoring the natural function of floodplains and wetlands enhances the ecosystem services they provide.

In the Chicago region, all counties have established minimum standards for stormwater management, including limiting the amount of runoff that may be generated by new development or redevelopment. Continued advancements are needed to address urban flooding, incorporate current and projected precipitation data, and streamline volume reduction and green infrastructure techniques, among others.{{Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning, “Stormwater and Flooding,” 2018, http://www.cmap.illinois.gov/onto2050/strategy-papers/stormwater.}} Municipal development ordinances also contain provisions that significantly affect stormwater runoff and management, such as the amount of impervious cover, and building and street design requirements. Local governments can be proactive about addressing flooding challenges by going beyond county requirements to require stormwater best management practices on smaller parcels. Some municipalities in the region, such as Downers Grove, are leading the way in seeking to protect their existing neighborhoods from urban flooding by recognizing and preserving stormwater flow capacity in areas with local drainage problems.

Action 1

Continue to update stormwater management ordinances and performance standards to reflect best practices, including green infrastructure solutions, and emerging information about climate change and development trends.

Implementers

Local governments

Action 2

Convene county stormwater agencies and other partners to exchange information about regulatory updates that improve stormwater management.

Implementers

CMAP

Action 3

Explore the use of transfers, credits, and water quality and volume trading programs to achieve regional water resource goals.

Implementers

CMAP and partners

Action 4

Continue to improve floodplain management guidance, techniques, and compliance, and participate in the Community Rating System.

Implementers

IDNR and local governments

Action 5

Update plans and development standards to improve stormwater and floodplain management.

Implementers

Local governments

Action 6

Support continued pre-disaster planning efforts, including buyout programs, flood risk assessments, identification and protection of critical facilities, and stormwater planning, and identify opportunities for coordination.

Implementers

CMAP, counties, and other partners