Riverfront, Bayfront, and Canal-front Living

A canal-front home in Florida, a house on a tidal river in New York, and a cabin on a Kentucky creek all count as waterfront, but each one raises different questions. How far is it to open water, and are there fixed bridges on the way? Does the river flood in spring? Who maintains the canal and its seawalls? These guides help you ask the right questions for moving water and connected waterways.

Navigation, dredging, and shoreline rules on rivers, bays, and canals can involve the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the U.S. Coast Guard, state environmental agencies, water management districts, and local governments. We explain where to look and who to ask, not what the rules are on any particular stretch of water.