New surveys have better defined floodplains along Tenmile and Silver creeks, and new digital records of other existing floodplains in Lewis and Clark County are now available.

Proposed new floodplain maps are now available for review, and a formal 90-day comment period will begin sometime next month. Final versions of the maps are expected to be approved in about a year, a group of government officials and engineers told residents in a question-and-answer session this week at the East Valley Fire Hall.

Changes in the 100-year floodplain boundaries mean some 280 households in the county will now be included in the regulatory zones. Property owners who hold federally regulated loans will be required to purchase flood insurance.

Paul Spengler, the county's floodplain coordinator, said he'll be sending out notices to those property owners this week.

Residents who may be required to purchase flood insurance will see a significant discount if they buy before their homes are officially included in the floodplain, Spengler and other officials said.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency is updating and digitizing maps across Montana.

Marijo Brady, a FEMA specialist out of Denver, told residents they have several options to dispute their inclusion in the floodplain. Owners of properties newly added to the floodplain can protest their inclusion during the upcoming 90-day appeal period.

Residents who dispute existing inclusion in the flood plain can file information with FEMA and submit surveyor's reports to attempt to redefine the floodplain boundary.

Residents who want to view the new maps should follow the link in this story online at helenair.com.

Officials will publish legal advertisements in the Independent Record to kick off the 90-day review, comment and appeal period. Contact Spengler at 447-8285 or building officials in Helena and East Helena for more information.

On the Web

Click here to view the maps online.

Reporter Larry Kline: 447-4075 or larry.kline@helenair.com