Floodway

The stream channel and that portion of the adjacent floodplain that must remain open to permit passage of the base flood. Development in the floodway can obstruct the flow of water and divert it onto other properties. Flood hazard is usually greatest in the floodway because it has the highest flood depths and velocities in the floodplain. The NFIP and local regulations prohibit construction in floodways that obstructs flood flows and contributes to increasing the water surface elevation more than a designated height.