Living near a brook?

Just wondering if anyone lives near a rushing river or brook, and how the sound impacts life in your dwelling (sleep, listening to music, etc). We are thinking of taking advantage of micro-hydro and relocating to another spot on our homestead. We are currently 400m away from this spot in the forest and loving the peace and quiet, hence the trepidation, but stable electricity would be nice ..lol.

Thanks!

Hi Michael,

I suppose it is pretty subjective, and will depend on how loud it is and how close you are. Maybe try camping out for a week or two where you think you might like to place the house to see if the noise fades to background over time, or if you find it bothersome?

A house will have also insulation and windows, which will cut the noise level somewhat.  One downside is that steady “white noise” can drown out other sounds you might like to hear - crickets, frogs, birds, cars coming down the driveway, etc...

Mine is seasonal, and I have toyed with the idea of moving my building site closer specifically *for* the white noise, which is preferable to distant highway/neighbour sounds to me..

I live about 50 yards from a rowdy mountain creek, it gets louder after a rain and sometimes it almost goes away when in drought. I have never noticed the sound much in the house, I am sitting here listening to the rain on my tin roof though; when it rains hard you can't listen to music. lol

I have a nice spot for a micro-hydro situation too, but I am pretty well established here. My thoughts were to figure out a way to build a homemade transmission line from the dam area, back to my house, since I cannot move my house.

You might be able to do the same thing. Go with a 3 phase generator on the dam, that way you will have minimum losses in your transmission line, and just bring the power back to your place. Of course I am not sure how established you are, or how you like it or any of that. I am just suggesting a secondary way to get the same result.

Our house is surrounded by three wet weather creeks.  When it has been raining the sound is very loud of rushing water.  I never hear it from inside the house.

I rather like hearing that sound because I know the wildlife will have water that we don't have to furnish.  The wildlife prefer natural sources for water rather than having to drink out of a tank.

I thoroughly enjoy the sound of the seasonal babbling brook behind my house, and one in front of house
 when we get good rain its a torrent with water falls. love it.