| Background and Information |
About the Model Sources
- The primary source of the floodplain hydraulic model data at the Illinois State Water Survey (ISWS) is the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Most of the collection is source material for FEMA's Flood Insurance Studies (FISs) for the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), in the following formats:
- FEMA's Engineering Study Data Package (ESDP) archives for each community FIS revision. FIS revision means publication of an FIS with a new effective date (including the first FIS for a community). Each ESDP is a collection of FIS study materials and correspondence; however, the product does not contain all the materials that the FEMA repository has for a study. The ESDPs have been distributed mainly in microfiche or CD format.
- Hydraulic model printouts sent by FEMA after an ESDP archive was compiled. These are primarily undocumented and uncommented paper printouts for flood profiles first published in an FIS prior to 1986. Some of this model data is still effective, even in subsequent FIS revisions.
- Selected hydraulic model input files of similar vintage, from the IDNR Office of Water Resources archive. While mostly undocumented, many are likely to be versions of FIS models.
- Not all FIS data are available at the ISWS. FEMA maintains its own national archive, which is the primary source of all study materials and documentation used to produce the FEMA floodplain maps.
- Updated model data associated with map revisions (LOMRs) or accepted restudies prior to their incorporation in an actual FIS revision are not available at ISWS. Those data usually must be requested directly from FEMA. For further information, call FEMA's Map Assistance Center at (877) FEMA-MAP.
- FEMA discontinued distribution of FIS models to ISWS in 2001.
Data Disclaimers
The model inventory list presented here is NOT a list of
currently effective regulatory FIS models. Data, maps, and
data requirements for regulatory floodplain management and flood
insurance applications change over time. The data contained in the
identified models is not guaranteed to represent the currently
effective FEMA floodplain model or the current physical conditions
at any given reach or site. The Illinois State Water Survey and/or
the Illinois Department of Natural Resources give no warranty,
express or implied, as to the accuracy, reliability, utility, or
completeness of this information.
In no case can the floodplain engineering data or
documentation at ISWS be interpreted as the total available
information from a floodplain study. It is the
requester’s responsibility to seek all the study data needed
from various possible sources. The Illinois State Water Survey
and/or the Illinois Department of Natural Resources shall not be
held liable for improper or incorrect use of data or data
descriptions.
Additional
conditions for the use of this website apply (see the ISWS website
legal statement).
Scope of the ISWS Floodplain Model Service
| The ISWS engineering data copy service includes: | ||
 | Searching for applicable hydraulic models in the ISWS inventory | |
| Reviewing model output for general agreement with the most recent FIS floodway table and discharge table | |
| Searching available information at ISWS to identify possible post-FIS restudies or revisions | |
The ISWS engineering data copy service does NOT include: | ||
 | Verifying the existence of superseding LOMRs or restudies | |
| Searching for all study documentation possibly accompanying model data | |
| Searching ESDP archives with large volumes of uncatalogued models | |
| Ordering revision documents not already at ISWS | |
| Ordering any backup data from FEMA on your behalf | |
| Providing complete hydrologic study material | |
| Providing topographic maps | |
| Providing a technical analysis of any past or present engineering study or model run | |
To order a model from ISWS:
Fax a written request, that includes a map and description specifically identifying your reach limits, to:
| Bill Saylor, Illinois State Water Survey |
|
| Fax: (217) 333-2304 |
You will receive a more specific description of available materials to confirm your order. Charges apply.