Black Creek (Miami, Cutler, Princeton: insurance, houses, to live in)

[Beach and Tree Lover]

I'm looking at a home that is very close to black creek. I have a few questions if anybody can help:

Is there any concerns of flooding from this creek?
What is the purpose of this creek and what kind of water is in in (not sewer water right)?
Can you use kayaks and canoes in the creek?
Are there any negatives of being near this creek?

[doggiebus]

Never heard of Black creek. Do you have a map of where it is? Is this a canal? If its a canal then its probably fresh water, with drainage run off from homes, agriculture etc. People can canoe the canals, just don't go in the water. People fish out of these waters but I wouldn't eat anything that comes out of them, as they aren't super clean always. Gators also can be found swimming in these canals. Typically there is no real concern with the canals and flooding. But there are flood zones near many canals, so people can be required to have flood insurance in these flood zones.

[tallrick]

It's a canal in southeast Dade. Most of the homes built next to it are on former pinelends (Cutler ridge) so there is hardly any flooding. It has been known to host rats infected with the Sin Nombre virus but that's typical of most south Florida canals. Never swim in the shallower waters in warm weather because of parasites like amoeba. Most of it is fresh water, but near the bay salt water can be present. The canal is really just for drainage but is popular with some small boaters. Occasionally a gator or crocodile will go for a swim. Overall not a bad area to live in.

http://myfwc.com/media/1521460/Fresh...reek_Canal.pdf

[Beach and Tree Lover]

Thank you both for the replies. Its a canal located near 200th st and 137 Ave. The home is in zone X but knowing what I know I will still be getting a flood policy.

[popcorn247]

Is this area also known as Black Point?

[Dakster]

No, black point, is on the bay -roughly 87th ave and 216thst- 248th st. I actually ate lunch there today.

I don't know of any natural 'canals' or creeks in Dade within the urban development boundary - all are designed to dump fresh water run-off (or rain) into the ocean. And all were used as fill to build houses on.

The advice about not swimming or eating fish is a good one. Some canals are brackash at times (some salt water) due to intrusion.

If you are behind the Canal and today you look and see that there is not a huge drop-off to the water, you have a chance of flooding in a large storm or if we get weeks of unending heavy rain. The closest canal to me has a nice high bank before the water starts, so I am not AS concerned.

[Sugah Ray]

I have never seen people in that canal but I live further north, it is a manatee protected area, here is the law

http://www.aicw.org/manatee_signage_...Zone%20Law.pdf

68C-22.025 — Dade County Zones.

(e) NO ENTRY ZONE (Year-round) —

Black Creek Canal Area — Those waters of the Black Creek Canal and the Black Point Marina Basin southerly of Salinity Control Structure S-21 and northerly of a line bearing North 60 o 00"00" East (True) located 50 feet southeasterly of the southernmost tip of the shoreline of the peninsula northeast of the entrance to the Black Point Marina Basin (approximate latitude 25 o 32"23" North).

[MiamiRob]

Originally Posted by Beach and Tree Lover

Thank you both for the replies. Its a canal located near 200th st and 137 Ave. The home is in zone X but knowing what I know I will still be getting a flood policy.

I highly sugesst any homeowner get a flood policy even if you live in Zone X. We lived in a X Zone from 1993-2005 and never had flooding in the streets with good drainage so my family didn't have flood insurance since the bank didn't require it. That of course ended when Katrina passed to the south of us in Princeton and all of sudden we had about 18 inches of water inside the house. My car was a total loss as well. Our saving grace is that the rising housing prices helped sell the house even in the condition it was in & were able to pay off the mortgage. Flood insurance isn't even that expensive to begin with so never say never.