Having just completed such a search and now moved into the purchase phase, allow me to post a word or two about having a stream as a starting requirement for the selection of land. I would advise against it.
Any stream or agricultural ditch in the United States is under the jurisdiction of the US Army Corps of Engineers (USA/CE) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). In my opinion, having a running stream on your property is the equivalent of giving the USA/CE and EPA free access to your land at any time under any pretenses that wish to use. Such areas, including an old agricultural drainage ditch (the western boundary of my property selection), are 'wetlands' as defined by the type vegetation near the area and the type soil. The number of weeks of the year the area is actually wet is irrelevant.
If you question if an area is a wetland, you can submit to the USA/CE a Request for Determination. They then look at it, or require you to hire a consultant at your expense to look it, and declare it a Jurisdictional Wetland. All a Request for Determination does is move the classification from assumed to actual. You can't develop it without going to a lot of expense. Read up on the Tulloch Rule if you want to explore developing an area of wetlands. It can be done, using 19th century technology and techniques.
Our country has changed.
