Water features can dramatically affect the value of land or acreage.  Careful consideration should be given if a water feature is present or planned.

 If a property fronts on a large navigable waterway, typically, the water's edge or mean high watermark separates private from public property.  Use of the public property adjoining the private property should be carefully considered. Also, valuable land areas may be gained or lost by "Alienation". Alienation includes: Accretion (the gradual buildup of land due to natural soil deposits.) and Avulsion (the wasting or tearing away of land due to natural causes, e.g. earthquake, flood, etc.) There are two types of Accretion:  Alluvion (deposits of land built up by soil deposits.) and Reliction (gaining of land because of receding water). For example. You purchase a tract of land on the outside curve of a river.  Over time, through Avulsion, the river may cut deeper and deeper into the shoreline on your property, gradually, or suddenly removing "Land".  If you purchase property on a lake, attention should be paid to other properties in close proximity to determine if normal wind and wave action have been eroding the shoreline, or depositing additional soil on the shoreline. 

 If a property fronts on a non-navigable, or very small navigable waterway, the property line usually extends to the center of the waterway.  A careful look at historic plats and surveys should be taken to ensure the location of property line and water right boundaries. 

 Ponds can add significant value to land.  When we evaluate a property with no water feature, we look for opportunities to create them. Low areas with a water table near the surface are examined carefully.  Care must be taken to ensure that a proposed pond site is not classified as a "wetland" area.  Soil should be evaluated to ensure that it will hold water.

 If a pond exists, we must look at several factors that may affect the future value of the pond.  Water source, depth, slope of banks, aquatic plants, and size of a pond all play important roles in evaluation of value.

 In any evaluation of land with a water feature, the water source should be examined to ensure that pollution from a non-point source will not alter the usefulness or value of the target property. 

 Please visit the links below to learn more about water features relating to land and land values.

 If you would like to sell or buy land, and would like to be represented by a knowledgeable real estate professional, please click the "contact us" link below.