Protecting Floodplain Resources - A Guidebook for Communities

This guidebook has been written to introduce officials and citizens at the local level to a basic understanding of natural resources in floodplains and to offer suggestions for creating strategies for wisely managing these important areas. As scientific understanding of ecosystems grows, the importance of conserving and restoring the natural resources and functions of floodplains is increasingly recognized. Historically effective floodplain management was recognized as a necessary task to reduce the loss of life and property. However, floodplain areas are now also recognized as having an intrinsic value of their own as a part of the interconnected ecosystem and an influential role in increasing a community's quality of life.