Is a spring-fed stream a flood risk? (insurance, house)

[NJ to MA]

One house posting I saw has a spring-fed stream in the back yard (not near the house). I know that streams in general can pose a flood risk after a heavy rain. But would you consider a spring-fed stream a potential flood risk? Are there any other risks with a back yard spring?

Thanks you all in advance!

[johngolf]

Depends on the elevation of the house in relationship to the stream.

[BostonMike7]

Is it designated as a flood zone for insurance purposes?


There's a lot of "it depends" here. Is the source of water in the spring only from the below water table, or would runoff from neighboring areas also collect in the spring adding to it's level?

[tysmith95]

Any town/city flood maps. Maybe you could bring a professional out to the site to assess it.

[Shrewsburried]

Originally Posted by tysmith95

Any town/city flood maps. Maybe you could bring a professional out to the site to assess it.

Yup, check the flood maps and be sure that they are recent - if the town has them posted online, they typically are up to date.

I looked at home which had a spring fed stream behind it with debris suggesting fairly notable rises. Due to the local topography the home was not within a flood zone; however, the neighbors were due to their lower elevation. Flood insurance can significantly impact the operating costs of a home, so you want to be sure the home is flood safe present and future.

When maps were revised sometime back, a family member had their insurance jump from ~$800/annual to $5,800/annual. One can assume is severely impacted resale as well.

[gf2020]

I have a stream in my back yard. It does rise in periods of heavy rain and is typically dry in the summer months. It's not considered to be a flood zone and has no impact on my insurance. It does attract a fair amount of wildlife, however.

[CaseyB]

Originally Posted by gf2020

I have a stream in my back yard. It does rise in periods of heavy rain and is typically dry in the summer months. It's not considered to be a flood zone and has no impact on my insurance. It does attract a fair amount of wildlife, however.

We have the same thing.

[roadstrailstris]

We have a stream running through our backyard and have never had an issue with flooding.

[NJ to MA]

Thank you all for your input! The area is not considered a flood zone.

Interestingly where I live in NJ now, a few years ago, my neighbor had a sinkhole in his backyard. It was about 4ft. in diameter and around 30ft. deep. Down at the bottom of the hole was a flowing stream!

In light of that, I have to wonder about a spring near a house. Or is this a worry for nothing?

[tysmith95]

That's what insurance is for