Floodplain Permits Apply in Unincorporated El Paso County

A floodplain permit question in El Paso County starts with the boundary, not the form. The county flood order applies in unincorporated areas. It does not apply inside the City of El Paso, Anthony, Vinton, Socorro, Horizon City, Clint, or San Elizario.

On the county side of that line, Planning and Development lists a Floodplain Development Permit. The same permit page also covers grading and drainage, driveways, roadcuts, and OSSF permits. Inside a city, the permit desk is that city, not the county.

So map the parcel first. If the land is outside city limits and the work touches a mapped floodplain, use the county permit route before moving dirt. If the land is inside one of the cities, start there instead. The form follows the boundary.