Blog · October 14, 2026 · South Dakota
Reading the Perkins County Flood Zone Map for a parcel
Flood zones are set by FEMA, and checking one near Lemmon takes a few minutes.
Main page: Perkins County, SD GIS & Parcel Viewer (official map link, county facts and neighboring maps).
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Before an offer near Shadehill, look at the Perkins County flood zone map: a mapped flood zone changes insurance, permits and resale. In this county guide: locating a parcel on FEMA's map, reading the zone codes, and pairing it with the Perkins County CAMAvision map, especially near Meadow.
The Perkins County flood zone map: start here
Out toward Prairie City, flood zones come from FEMA's Flood Map Service Center: enter the street address, and pick the FIRMette or map view. Vacant ground around Prairie City can still be found: search the nearest road and click the spot.
The free map to start with
Your first stop is the Perkins County CAMAvision map; it includes every tax parcel from Moreau River to Lemmon. Around Shadehill Reservoir, put in a street address, an owner's name or a parcel number, and the viewer zooms to the match. With a lot near Shadehill, write down the parcel ID while you have it open; every clerk in the county will want it.
Low spots and local drainage
Small streams around Bison may not have detailed mapping, so ask neighbors about past flooding. Wetlands near Bison can limit building even outside a flood zone; check the National Wetlands Inventory mapper for a first look.
Decoding the flood zone labels
Closer to Meadow, any A or V zone mark the Special Flood Hazard Area, which FEMA defines as a 1% annual chance of flooding. For acreage around Shadehill Reservoir, shaded Zone X marks moderate flood hazard, roughly the 100- to 500-year range; unshaded X is minimal risk.
Field tips
The parcel map usually runs in a mobile browser, handy when you're parked on a road near Shadehill, so load it before you lose signal. A printout of the tract near Shadehill is a good backup.
A quick look at the area
Bison holds the county offices, where most land records are kept. You'll also find Lemmon, Prairie City, Chance, and Lodgepole, each with its own cluster of lots. Around 2,834 people call Perkins County home (Census estimate, 2023) spread over some 2,870 square miles. Perkins County was organized in 1908, so old deeds can run back a long way. Features like Grand River, Moreau River, and Llewellyn Johns Recreation Area help you orient on the aerial.
Which office to call
If the acreage or value on a parcel near Prairie City looks off go to the Director of Equalization, the office behind the parcel record. Questions about what you can build around Lemmon go to planning, building or health offices, depending on whether the land is inside town limits.
A short flood checklist
With a lot near Shadehill Reservoir, request whether the home has flooded before closing; getting a quote early avoids surprises.
Deeds, plats and who keeps them
The map is an index, not the title: deeds, subdivision plats and easements for land near Moreau River are kept by the Register of Deeds. Older tracts around Shadehill Reservoir may sit on many deeds, so a title company earns its fee before a purchase.
Before you lean on the lines
Listed acreage is an assessed number; just a licensed surveyor establishes the real lines on land around Prairie City. If the land is near Lodgepole, owner names and values update on a schedule, so a deed recorded last month may not show yet.
Parcel lines plus flood zones
FEMA doesn't draw property lines, so check the Perkins County CAMAvision map too to see exactly which lot near Bison you're looking at.
Sections, lots and bearings
South Dakota uses the Public Land Survey System, so deeds around Lemmon reference sections and townships. A standard section is about one square mile, roughly 640 acres, with 36 sections to a township, though sections near Shadehill Reservoir can be irregular. Copy the legal description from the record for the parcel near Lodgepole when you talk to a surveyor.
Lenders and permits
For a home near Meadow, ask for an Elevation Certificate: it records the building's elevation against the base flood. New construction in a floodplain near Grand River usually means extra permit review; ask the local floodplain administrator early.
Neighboring parcel maps
Perkins County touches Adams County, ND, Butte County, Corson County, Harding County, and Meade County; every one of them runs a separate parcel map. Ground near Shadehill Reservoir that runs to the line can be split across two assessors' files, so look at the neighboring map as well. On ground around Shadehill, the Platbookmapper state page lists every neighboring county map for South Dakota.
Frequently asked
Why does the BFE matter near Chance?
Around Prairie City, the BFE is printed in AE zones on FEMA's map; local rules may require building above it.
How can I tell if a house near Shadehill Reservoir is in a flood zone?
In most cases, look up the spot near Lodgepole in FEMA's National Flood Hazard Layer viewer, and the zone code appears on the map.
When is flood insurance required around Lodgepole?
With a lot near Shadehill Reservoir, it's typically required only for structures in high-risk zones with federally backed loans, in communities that take part in the NFIP.
How often are flood maps updated around Lemmon?
If you're looking near Bison, FEMA revises flood maps panel by panel as new studies finish; your community is notified before changes take effect.
Where do I ask about an assessment near Prairie City?
If the land is near Moreau River, the Director of Equalization handles values and the tax roll, and the Register of Deeds keeps deeds.
Open the official Perkins County, SD parcel map See it in the Platbookmapper directory
Not a survey. County GIS and tax parcel maps are assessment and planning layers. They are not a substitute for a recorded plat, deed, or licensed survey, especially for fences, setbacks, or boundary disputes.