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The Engineering Service Center of the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Division of Water, provides engineering and technical support in support of Floodplain Management in Indiana.

The three Engineering Services Basin Sections (North, Central, and South) develop hydrologic and hydraulic models and floodplain maps, review technical models submitted for permits and floodplain assessments, and evaluate proposed alterations to National Flood Insurance Program studies.

Additionally, as a Cooperating Technical Partner  with FEMA, the three Engineering Services Basin Sections are continuously identifying, delineating and updating flood hazard areas, including floodway, flood fringe, and floodplain for all the counties in the State.

This information will be used to update the Flood insurance Studies (FIS) and Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs) in a digital format. The new flood maps will allow the State, counties and municipalities to administer a floodplain management program to decrease existing flood damages, mitigate future flood damages, and promote the health, safety, and general welfare of the people of Indiana.

The following quick links identify major programs managed by or associated with the Engineering Service Center.

Indiana Floodplain Mapping


Floodplain Management Links


Hydrology Links


  • The Indiana Peak Indiana Peak Discharge Determination System 
    Launch IPDDS, the Division of Water’s hydrologic computation system. Includes directions on how to submit information to the Division for approval. 5/23/2023 UPDATE: Application is currently under construction. Should you need a determination, please send email to water_inquiry@dnr.in.gov with stream name, coordinates in UTM NAD83 and a return email address.
  • USGS Streamstats
    StreamStats for Indiana incorporates regression equations for estimating peak-flow frequency statistics at the 10-, 25-, 50-, 100-, 200-, and 500-year recurrence intervals (equivalent to the 10-, 4-, 2-, 1-, 0.5-, and 0.2-percent annual exceedance probabilities, respectively) for unregulated streams throughout Indiana, and equations for estimating bankfull-channel dimensions of width, mean depth, and cross-sectional area for non-urban wadeable streams in the three largest physiographic regions of Indiana.
  • Coordinated Discharges of Selected Streams in Indiana
    By a Memorandum of Understanding of May 6, 1976, the U.S. Soil Conservation Service (now known as the Natural Resources Conservation Service), the U. S. Geological Survey (USGS), the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Louisville, Detroit and Chicago Districts) and the Indiana Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) mutually agreed to coordinated discharge-frequency values for use in water resources investigations and planning activities in the State of Indiana.
  • NOAA Atlas 14 Point Precipitation Frequency Estimates
    Estimates of rainfall depths and distributions for various return periods throughout the state.
  • Estimation of Peak Discharges of Indiana Streams By Using log Pearson (III) Distribution:
    Predictive equations developed for estimating peak flood for specified frequencies for streams in Indiana.
  • Drainage Areas of Indiana Streams
    Drainage areas for all Indiana streams having a drainage area of at least five square miles are determined. Drainage areas at many other points, including entry and exit points for larger streams crossing the Indiana border, were also determined.
  • Probable Maximum Precipitation Estimates
    Charts of Probable Maximum Precipitation for Indiana derived from National Weather Service publications.
  • Purdue Long-Term Hydrologic Impact Analysis
    Purdue Long-Term Hydrologic Impact Analysis (LTHIA-IN) is a website that can be used to delineate watersheds and determine peak discharges using NRCS TR-55 methods.

Hydraulics Links


Other Floodplain Data

  • Fluvial Erosion Hazards in Indiana
    The Fluvial Erosion Hazards portal features mapping of approximate areas of stream migration for communities to better manage river corridors. The setbacks vary based on the stream’s recent migration history (mobile or non-mobile).
  • Non Levee Embankments in Indiana 
    The Non-Levee Embankment project is a joint effort between The Indiana Silver Jackets, The Polis Center, IMAGIS/Indy GIS, INDNR and SIU Geography. The purpose of the project is to identify non-levee embankments (NLE) utilizing LiDAR and geoprocessing techniques. NLE are elevated linear features adjacent to waterways and within the floodplain.

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