Lake Front Properties &
Wetland Issues
Owning lake-front property is considered the cream of the crop of building lots, as such a location adds to the value of a home exponentially. Lake-front lots are some of the most expensive pieces of real estate on the market, and for good reason. Who wouldn't want to walk out to their back deck to watch the moon rise over the peaceful waters of a Pocono lake?
But the reality is, lake-front lots also pose quite a lot of hassle for the owner when they decide to build a home on it.
Lake-front lots are often considered wetlands. Wetlands are protected lands, and thus can be deemed unbuildable. "Wetlands are areas where water covers the soil, or is present either at or near the surface of the soil all year or for varying periods of time during the year...." 1
Learn more about wetlands from:
When buying lakefront property, ask the seller or real estate agent if the property has had a wetland delineation. A wetland delineation is "the determination of whether an area is a wetland. It is the actual establishment of wetland boundaries." 2
Wetlands are very important to the ecology of our communities. In times of higher water levels, they act as a hydrologic sponge and help an area in the event of flooding by temporarily storing flood waters and then releasing them slowly. If homes are built in these natural levee systems, where will all the water go? It would flood your home, and that of your neighbors, too. Special considerations must be taken to ensure that the boundaries of the wetlands are marked, and that no construction will take place within those boundaries. That is why special permits are required to build, and why strict restrictions apply if those permits are granted.
Read More: Wetland Functions
Not only do lake-front losts cost more intitially than most other home sites, the costs associated with site conditions for the building of the home on it if deemed buildable are much higher than a home built on land that is not wetlands.
If you do decide to build a home on wetlands, you must realize that it is your responsibility to know all that you can about your special piece of the Earth. Penalties can be severe for disturbing wetlands, including heavy fines and even prison. Learn More by reading:
Also important to the wetland delineation process, is a property survey.
Pennsylvania Society of Land Surveyors, Pocono Chapter:
Wetland Delineations:
Recognizing Wetlands:
