Sacramento HOA Guide
Natomas HOA Guide: Flood Zone, Levees and Tax-Bill Districts
Natomas is the part of Sacramento built inside a basin ringed by 42 miles of levee. North Natomas is a 15 square mile planned area where city landscape districts, flood assessments and HOA dues all land on the same owners.
This guide covers what is specific to Natomas.
Local rules on this page were checked against City of Sacramento, Sacramento Area Flood Control Agency and Reclamation District 1000 pages on October 9, 2026. Rules change, so confirm the current one before you act on it. Sources are listed at the bottom of the page.
The A99 flood zone and the levee work
FEMA remapped the Natomas Basin into an AE flood zone in December 2008. On June 16, 2015 a new map gave Natomas an A99 designation, which the city describes as interim and high risk but open to construction.
The city says owners with federally backed mortgages still need flood insurance because the levee improvements are not complete. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers builds the project. The Sacramento Area Flood Control Agency (SAFCA) and the state share the cost, and Reclamation District 1000 operates and maintains the levees, canals and pumping plants. The district’s last posted status report is dated July 2024. Its page for the Garden Highway reach says levee work there began in 2022 and is expected to continue until 2030.
As general good practice, ask your insurance agent each year what flood coverage the association carries on common buildings.
What to do about it: What HOA insurance covers and What HOA insurance covers
Charges on a Natomas tax bill that are not HOA dues
Several public agencies bill Natomas owners on the county property tax bill.
Rates differ by zone. In the city’s 2025-26 report, the maximum landscape tax for developed lots in CFD No. 99-02 runs from $19.56 to $198.77 per unit and three zones add a drainage tax. Newer areas such as Natomas Meadows, Northlake and the Panhandle sit in separate city districts.
What to do about it: Before you budget for a landscape strip, confirm whether the association or a city district maintains it. See What are HOA assets? and Planning your HOA budget
Associations and plans on the public record
The North Natomas Community Plan is part of the city’s 2040 General Plan. It runs from Interstate 80 north to Elkhorn Boulevard and includes the Greenbriar (Northlake) and Panhandle growth areas.
Two master associations publish their own websites. Natomas Park Master Association runs The Club at Natomas Park on Club Center Drive, and the city’s neighborhood directory lists it at 3,940 homes. Westlake Master Association describes five gated and three non-gated villages around a lake with a clubhouse. How2HOA is not affiliated with either one.
South Natomas is older. The city’s plan says most of it was built between 1950 and 1980. The city districts above are named for North Natomas, so check your own tax bill.
Read next: Governing documents explained
Canals, buffers and habitat land next to your community
Not all open space beside a Natomas community is HOA common area. Reclamation District 1000 runs the drainage canals. The community plan requires a habitat buffer along the east side of Fisherman’s Lake, with minimum widths that vary by section.
The Natomas Basin Habitat Conservation Plan covers new development in the basin. It requires a half acre of habitat for each acre developed, funded by a fee paid when a grading permit is issued. The Natomas Basin Conservancy manages that land.
Under City Code section 12.56.080, flood agencies need no city tree permit for flood protection work on public property and easements. Check your recorded map for easements before planting or building near a levee or canal.
What to do about it: How to minimize association liability and Maintenance
Is this a lot for a volunteer board to track?
Flood maps, levee assessments, city landscape districts and your own documents all affect a Natomas budget. If your board is deciding between managing itself and hiring help, start with Self-Managed vs. Professional HOA Management, or tell us about your community and we will send you options from affiliated management companies.
Compare HOA management optionsQuick answers
Questions Natomas board members ask
Is Natomas still in a flood zone?
Yes. The basin has carried the interim A99 designation since June 16, 2015.
Do owners have to carry flood insurance?
The city says owners with federally backed mortgages still do. Its floodplain information line is 916-808-5061.
Why does my tax bill show landscape charges when we already pay HOA dues?
City districts maintain corridors, buffers, medians and some subdivision edges. Your dues cover what the association must maintain under its governing documents.
Who maintains the canal or basin behind our homes?
It depends on the parcel. Reclamation District 1000 operates the drainage canals, and a city district maintains detention basin parks. Confirm ownership before spending association money.
Keep going
Where to go next on How2HOA
Sources for this guide
These official sources open in a new tab. City of Sacramento: Natomas flood maps, annual service districts, 2025-26 CFD tax report, North Natomas Community Plan, South Natomas Community Plan, habitat conservation plan, 2026 habitat fee study, neighborhood directory and City Code chapter 12.56.
Flood agencies: SAFCA assessment districts, Reclamation District 1000, Natomas levee project, Garden Highway reach update and Central Valley Flood Protection Board. Others: Natomas Basin Conservancy, Natomas Park Master Association and Westlake Master Association.
Professional management
Thinking about management help?
Tell us about your community and we will send you options from affiliated management companies.
Compare HOA management optionsBrowse all HOA topicsThis page is general educational information, not legal, financial or insurance advice. How2HOA is not affiliated with the associations or agencies named here. Local ordinances and state law change, and your association’s governing documents control many of these questions, so check the current rule and talk with your association’s attorney or another qualified professional about your situation.