HB0039 - High water marking-boating.

 

2001

State of Wyoming

01LSO-0257

 

 

 

HOUSE BILL NO.  HB0039

 

 

High water marking-boating.

 

Sponsored by:  Representative(s) Sadler, Gay, McGraw and
Robinson and Senator(s) Harris and Hinchey

 

 

A BILL

 

for

 

 1  AN ACT relating to waters of the state and uses of those
 2  waters and waterbeds; providing for the free passage of
 3  floating craft upon waters of the state; authorizing the
 4  disembarking and recreational use of shores up to the high
 5  water mark as specified; providing definitions; and
 6  providing for an effective date.

 7 

 8  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Wyoming:

 9 

10         Section 1.  W.S. 41-1-112 is created to read:

11 

12         41-1-112.  Uses of waters of the state.

13 

14         (a)  Unless otherwise prohibited by law, any waters of
15  the state, if capable thereof, may be used for the free
16  passage of any craft used commercially or for recreation.

 

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 1  Any person lawfully floating in any craft upon the waters
 2  of this state may alight upon the shore below the high
 3  water mark and undertake below the high water mark
 4  recreational activities not prohibited by law.

 5 

 6         (b)  As used in this section:

 7 

 8              (i)  "Free passage" means the water is sufficient
 9  to float craft, including as incidental to the floating,
10  periodically disembarking to pull, push or carry the craft
11  over shoals, riffles and rapids;

12 

13              (ii)  "High water mark" means the line that water
14  impresses on land by covering it for sufficient periods to
15  cause physical characteristics that distinguish the area
16  below the line from the area above it. Characteristics of
17  the area below the line include, but are not limited to,
18  deprivation of the soil of substantially all terrestrial
19  vegetation and destruction of its agricultural vegetative
20  value. A flood plain adjacent to surface waters is not
21  considered to lie within the surface waters' high water
22  marks;

23 

 

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 1              (iii)  "Waters of the state" means all waters
 2  owned by the state as provided under article 8, section 1
 3  of the Wyoming constitution.

 4 

 5         Section 2.  This act is effective July 1, 2001.

 6 

 7                         (END)

 

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