Floodplains:

• Provide recreational benefits through outdoor recreation: 
• Parks, bike paths, open spaces, and wildlife conservation areas can improve a community’s quality of life and make the community more attractive to potential residents, employers, and investors
• Provide scientific benefits through knowledge gained in studying floodplains
• Often contain cultural resources, such as historic or archaeological sites
• Provide open space that may be used to restore and enhance natural areas and forest lands