Most people know that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers builds water resource projects, like dams and levees.  Not so well known; however, is that the Corps also provides assistance to help states, eligible Native American Tribes, and local governments prepare their own plans and initiate their own actions to manage water and related land resources. 

Each year, the Chicago District receives funds for the FPMS Program to support comprehensive flood plain management planning, with technical services and planning guidance at all appropriate government levels.

The goal of the FPMS Program is to foster public understanding for dealing with flood hazards and to promote prudent use and management of the nation's floodplains. People who live and work in the floodplains need to know about the flood hazards and the actions they can take to reduce property damage and to prevent the loss of life caused by flooding. Land-use adjustments based on proper planning and the employment of techniques for controlling and reducing flood damages provide a rational way to balance the advantages and disadvantages of human settlement on floodplains. These adjustments are the key to sound floodplain management.

Technical services and planning guidance under the FPMS program are provided to state, regional, and local governments without charge, within program funding limits, and generally last about 12 months. FPMS services are conducted completely at the federal expense, however, FPMS services for federal agencies and private persons are on a cost-recovery or fee basis.

FPMS is 100% federally-funded, so no cost share is required of communities. The program does not give the Corps the authority to complete detailed final designs or construction activities.

Upon an approved request, the Corps provides program services to state, regional and local governments, Indian tribes, and other non-federal public agencies without charge.

The Corps also offers program services to non-water resource federal agencies and to the private sector on an 100-percent cost-recovery basis. For most of these requests, we require payment before we provide services. The Corps uses a schedule of charges to recover the cost of services taking up to one day to provide. Additionally, the Corps uses letter requests or signed agreements to charge for those that take longer.

We encourage all entities that make requests to furnish available field survey data, maps of historical flood information and the like, to help reduce the cost of services.