Flood Plain Editorial 

Thank you to all who built and maintain the dike which does work and protects Buffalo City and Cochrane . As a resident here in 2001 I know that it works well and it was in no danger of failing in 2001 which was very close to the 1965 flood level . The 2001 flood was a very good test not only because of the height of the river but because of the time that the river stayed high which was close to a month forcing the water table up with great intensity . Under that extreme test the water level never went over 3 feet below the previously marked BFE ( projected flood level ) thereby proving the dike as functional and effective under nearly worst case circumstances changing the previous benchmarks .

Unfortunately as far as flood insurance prices are figured the dike is not recognized as being there and we are still in a high risk flood zone like cities without any protection at all .

With the new emphasis on insuring flood plain properties the side effect is creating serious resale problems  for many people in Buffalo City and Cochrane and if left as is will end up devaluing both Cities as properties end up being sold off to cash investors for  much less than they were assessed for , and are then are turned into rental properties devaluing both Cities even more .

I am trying to organize as many people affected by the problem which is more than just the people in the flood plain , to attempt to have FEMA revise the flood zoning reflect the real and actual conditions of life behind the dike . This is no small task but the large number of people affected by this are entitled to federal services or to refund of federal taxes for services not provided . I am currently researching this problem and believe that that the A-10 zone is an inaccurate description of the threat and the BFE at 668 feet does not take into account the real and actual projected water level inside the dike . After the research is done a strategy can be developed which seem more toward federal agencies at this time. I am also building a contact list during the research and the Wisconsin DNR has been very helpful and cooperative along with a few others .

I am convinced a large group of organized people upset over inequity can correct this injustice and I am willing to do a lot of research work on this and publish the results both good and bad . If the people are satisfied with empty promises and lame excuses and do not want to fight for their rights I will use my research for my own individual case but it would be better for both city residents to stand up and demand the Federal Services they are paying for and not getting .

Anyone interested in getting organized please contact me -

BFE is abbreviation for : Base Flood Elevation
FEMA  is abbreviation for : Federal Emergency Management Agency