Buying Land in McLean County, North Dakota

McLean County Has Its Own Countywide Zoning Ordinance

Generally favorable

McLean County adopted a revised countywide Zoning Ordinance (originally dated 1982, with amendments through at least 2022) administered through a Planning and Zoning Commission and a dedicated county Land Use Administrator. North Dakota state law requires a public hearing for any zoning amendment, conditional-use approval, or variance request, and the county follows that process directly rather than deferring to individual townships. This gives a buyer a single, identifiable county office and ordinance to check for a specific parcel -- confirm current district and permitted uses directly, since a countywide ordinance still varies significantly by zoning district.

Garrison Dam and Lake Sakakawea: Land Along the Shoreline Is Largely Corps-Controlled

Case-by-case / verify locally

McLean County contains Garrison Dam and a substantial stretch of the Lake Sakakawea shoreline, a Missouri River reservoir created and still managed by the US Army Corps of Engineers (Omaha District). The Corps purchased the private land needed to contain the reservoir when it was built in the 1940s-50s, and property lines around much of the lake are generally set at a fixed elevation contour (roughly 1,854-1,855 feet) rather than at a natural, movable shoreline. Most public access points around the lake -- marinas, parks, boat ramps -- sit on land the Corps leases out to the state park system, the county, Game and Fish, or tribal government, rather than land in private hands. A parcel advertised as 'near' or 'on' Lake Sakakawea should be checked carefully for its actual property line relative to the Corps-controlled elevation contour, and for whether any lake access is a private deeded right or dependent on a separate leased or public access point.

Water Levels and Access Have Been Volatile in Recent Years

Case-by-case / verify locally

Lake Sakakawea's water level fluctuates with Missouri River basin conditions and Corps reservoir management, and reporting as recent as 2026 has described notably low water affecting resorts, marinas, and boat access around the lake. If lake access or lake-adjacent recreational value is part of the reason for buying a specific parcel, confirm current water levels and any recent access changes directly with the Corps of Engineers or a local marina/resort rather than assuming conditions match older photos or listings.

A Share of the Fort Berthold Reservation, Including the Site of a Relocated Town

Case-by-case / verify locally

The Fort Berthold Indian Reservation, home to the Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara (MHA) Nation, extends into McLean County along with several other counties (McKenzie, Mountrail, Dunn, Mercer, Ward). The construction of Garrison Dam and the resulting Lake Sakakawea flooded a significant portion of the reservation's most fertile bottomland in the 1950s, forcing the relocation of communities including the town of Elbowoods, which had sat in what is now McLean County. As with McKenzie County, any parcel within or near the reservation boundary should be checked for trust or tribal-allotted land status before assuming standard county zoning, recording, or transaction processes apply.