Blog · October 14, 2026 · Utah
Rich County Flood Zone Map, Utah: a practical guide
Flood zones are set by FEMA, and checking one near Bear Lake takes a few minutes.
Main page: Rich County, UT GIS & Parcel Viewer (official map link, county facts and neighboring maps).
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Ahead of any purchase around Bear Lake, pull up the Rich County flood zone map: a mapped flood zone changes insurance, permits and resale. In this Rich County guide: finding the address on FEMA's map, decoding A, AE and X, and pairing it with the Utah State Parcels viewer.
Getting started with the Rich County flood zone map
For a more interactive look, try the National Flood Hazard Layer viewer, which draws the zones over aerial imagery, and that holds around Bear Lake too. Rural land near Garden with no street number can still be found: search the nearest road and click inside the land.
The free map to start with
Your first stop is the Utah State Parcels viewer; it includes every tax parcel around Bear Lake and Woodruff. Without an address in hand, pan along the nearest road and select the outline, which applies near Bear River as much as anywhere. In and around Garden, copy the parcel ID before closing the panel; every clerk in the county will want it.
Zones on the Rich County flood zone map
In and around Garden City, any A or V zone mark the Special Flood Hazard Area, land with a 1-percent chance of flooding in any year. In and around Garden, a shaded X area marks moderate flood hazard, between the 1% and 0.2% annual chance floods; unshaded X means minimal mapped risk.
Reading the legal description
Utah follows the Public Land Survey System, which means a tract near Woodruff is described by section, township and range. A standard section is about one square mile, roughly 640 acres, and a township holds 36 of them, though real sections near Garden vary in size. Write down the legal description for the tract near Garden City for any title or survey request.
Places you'll see on the map
Randolph serves as the county seat, home to the main records offices. Other places on the map include Garden City, Laketown, Woodruff, and Garden. Roughly 2,670 people call Rich County home (Census estimate, 2023) across about 1,029 square miles. Rich County was formed in 1864, so old deeds can run back a long way. Features like Bear River, Bear Lake, and Cache National Forest make handy reference points on the map.
Beyond the mapped zones
Low-lying fields near Randolph may not have detailed mapping, so walk the land after rain. Wet ground around Bear River is a separate issue from flood zones; check the National Wetlands Inventory mapper for a first look.
When a parcel crosses a boundary
Rich County borders Bear Lake County, ID, Franklin County, ID, Cache County, Morgan County, and Summit County; every one of them runs a separate parcel map. Ground near Garden that runs to the line may show up in two county records, so check the adjacent map before you assume the acreage. Closer to Laketown, our state page lists every neighboring county map across Utah.
Getting answers from the right desk
Recorded documents for a parcel near Randolph are with the County Recorder, usually searchable by name or document number. Questions about what you can build around Woodruff need the planning or permitting office, and the answer depends on jurisdiction.
Lining it up with the parcel map
FEMA doesn't draw property lines, so pair it with the Utah State Parcels viewer for the outline of the tract near Laketown.
A short flood checklist
For a tract near Cache National Forest, request whether the home has flooded before closing; an insurance quote early avoids surprises.
Before you lean on the lines
Listed acreage is an estimate; only a licensed surveyor can set the real boundary on land around Bear River. Closer to Garden, records update in batches, so a deed recorded last month might lag behind.
Money questions tied to the zone
If a building sits in a Special Flood Hazard Area and the loan is federally backed or regulated, the lender will require flood insurance in communities in the NFIP, and that holds around Cache National Forest too. Building or adding on near Cache National Forest in a mapped zone often needs a floodplain permit; ask the local floodplain administrator early.
Rich County: common questions
Can I see flood zones on the Utah State Parcels viewer for land near Garden City?
Out toward Laketown, a flood layer may appear in the Utah State Parcels viewer layer list, though it can lag behind FEMA's current panels.
Is my property near Garden in a flood zone?
Usually, FEMA's free map shows the zone for any spot near Bear River; no account is needed.
What is the difference between Zone A and AE near Bear Lake?
In most cases, AE is a Special Flood Hazard Area with a published base flood elevation, so builders near Woodruff design to that elevation.
What is a base flood elevation in Rich County?
With a lot near Bear Lake, the BFE is printed in AE zones on FEMA's map, and an Elevation Certificate compares the building to it.
What's a legal description near Cache National Forest?
For a parcel near Garden, it's the formal description of the land in the deed; a surveyor can interpret it.
Open the official Rich County, UT 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.